Kanjama: How integrity is eroding confidence in Judiciary

Senior Counsel Charles Kanjama [Spice FM]

Senior Counsel Charles Kanjama has raised concern over what he described as declining integrity within the Judiciary and the broader legal profession, warning that the trend

threatens public confidence and access to justice.

Speaking during an interview on Spice FM, Kanjama said integrity and independence within the legal system require urgent attention.

“In areas of integrity and independence of the bar, integrity of the bench, of basically the structure surrounding the legal profession, I think much more needs to be done,” he noted.

He cited a resurgence of corruption in several parts of the justice system, including court registries.

“We have seen the return of corruption in the commercial and court registries, like lands, companies, in the judicial registries, some elements in the judiciary, there’s even

corruption in the legal profession itself,” Kanjama stated.

He also pointed to concerns over the procurement of public legal services, noting that the issue is not procurement itself but integrity challenges surrounding it.

“There’s been criticism about procurement of public legal services by public providers or public organs, and not because the procurement in itself is a problem, but because there

have been instances of corruption and lack of accountability,” he explained.

Kanjama warned that ignoring these challenges makes access to justice inefficient and erodes public trust.

“If we don’t deal with them, they make access to justice inefficient, inaccessible, and they reduce the confidence of the public in the ability to procure effective legal services,” he observed.

As a contender in the upcoming Law Society elections, Kanjama said the issues also undermine the Society’s mandate.

“This reduces the ability of the Law Society to secure even professional work for all its members, which is one of the functions of the Law Society,” he noted.

On the welfare and practice of law, he urged the Society to balance its trade union role with regulatory responsibilities.

“It’s meant to ensure there’s professional regulation, but also lawyers are serving according to certain minimum standards,” Kanjama added.

He expressed concern over untrained individuals encroaching on legal practice and urged the Society to embrace emerging areas of law, alternative dispute resolution,

technology, artificial intelligence, climate change, corporate governance, and legal audits.

“LSK needs to be more deliberate also in expanding practice space. LSK cannot afford to just continue on the same trajectory it has been on,” he explained.

On public procurement, Kanjama noted that the Constitution allows public sector entities to procure private services as long as principles of fairness, transparency, and

accountability are followed.

He acknowledged cases of inflated legal fees and collusion, particularly involving county governments, which must be addressed individually.

He added that while the Society has spoken out in recent years on issues such as Gen Z protests and extrajudicial actions, it remains largely reactive.

“We should not be waiting for issue to happen then go there but we should be proactive including closer collaboration with constitutional commissions, to identify and address

gaps early,” Kanjama observed.