Law Professor Makau Mutua has said one does not have to go through the Kenya School of Law in order to practice.
Mutua's comment comes after the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) busted Brian Mwendwa, whom they say did not have the prerequisite qualifications to be a lawyer.
Mwendwa was flagged off for representing clients in court, and now the distinguished scholar believes he can successfully practice law.
Mutua's take
Just like Okiya Omtatah, the Busia Senator who has litigated a number of cases, Mutua added that Mwendwa can do so.
"Mr Mwenda can successfully practice law without going to law school, as has my friend Okiya Omtatah. That said, I recommend you go to law school if you want to practice law," Mutua said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.
Mutua, who is a Suny Distinguished Professor and a former Dean at Buffalo Law School, gave examples of figures who successfully practice law without undergoing traditional legal practice.
"One doesn’t have to go to law school to practice law. Abraham Lincoln, one of America’s greatest presidents, never went to college, let alone law school, although he became a very good lawyer through apprenticeship.
"Robert H. Jackson, the Prosecutor of Nazis at Nuremberg, never went to law school, although he became a great jurist.
"He rose to become US Solicitor General, Attorney General, and Justice of the US Supreme Court - the only person to occupy all three offices," Mutua, who is also a political commentator, added.
Opposition support for Mwendwa
Mwendwa's case has generated a wide range of views, with Rarieda Member of Parliament (MP) Otiende Amollo categorically saying that Mwendwa cannot practice law.
