Nelson Havi wins LSK presidency

Nelson Havi was on Thursday, February 27, elected the president of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), taking over from Allen Gichuhi.

Even though the official results were yet to be announced as at the time of publishing this story, vote-tallying showed that Havi had registered unassailable lead, with some of his competitors, including Charles Kanjama, conceding defeat.

Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi termed Havi’s victory as a “landslide” in a 7:30pm tweet.

Laywer Donald Kipkorir, in a tweet at 8pm, congratulated Havi on the "overwhelming victory".

"I am proud to have endorsed Havi from the beginning, publicly and privately," said Kipkorir.

Another lawyer, Steve Ogolla, tweeted at 7:20pm, saying: “Congratulations president-elect, Nelson Havi. As the first lawyer to have benefited from LSK full sponsorship to Kenya School of Law, I have always supported and worked very closely with LSK leadership. I pledge full support to the incoming Council, and I wish them the very best.”

Havi will serve a 3-year term, which begins in 2020 and ends in 2022. Under the current LSK law, the president only serves one term.

After four months of spirited campaigns, Havi overcame competition from Harriette Chiggai, Maria Mbeneka and Charles Kanjama.

Out of the four candidates, Havi was the only contestant who was not in the LSK Council, and was seen as fresh blood in the body. His campaign mantra was: “a brave new bar, promising to restore LSK’s lost glory.”

Havi said his agenda will be centered on monitoring legislation, defending the rule of law and Constitutionalism.

The presence of Chiggai and Mbeneka had given hope that the LSK could get its second woman president after 16 years.

The last and the only woman to have led LSK was Raychelle Awuor Omamo, the current Foreign Affairs minister. She served as the council chairperson from 2001 to 2003.

In the lead-up to the February 27 polls, Havi had made allegations Monday that some of his competitors were planning to rig the process. He wrote a letter in which he questioned the “late registration” of between 54 and 213 new lawyers to vote.

At the final LSK presidential debate at Daystar University auditorium last Monday, Maria Mbeneka, a contestant, said the allegations were directed at her, and were meant to malign her.

As at December 31, 2019, Kenya had 10,764 lawyers with valid practice certificates, and these were eligible to take part in the elections.

The elections, that ended at 5pm, were conducted by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).  There were 36 polling stations.

While conceding defeat to Havi on Thursday evening, Kanjama said he “pledged support to Havi, and urges all lawyers to do the same”.

“I congratulate him (Havi) on a race well-run, and, as a democrat, I am happy to accept the Will of the voters,” said Kanjama.

Outgoing president, Allen Gichuhi, took Oath of Office in 2017, promising to turn the LSK into a transformative and visionary body.

In the 2020 LSK elections, the race for vice-president attracted only two candidates: Carolyne Kamende Daudi and Eric Nyongesa. Both are members of the LSK Council.