Wamuzi News Ke
In a dramatic turn that pits legal ethics against executive ambition, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has formally opposed a Court of Appeal petition aimed at reviving President William Ruto’s Victim Compensation Panel, just hours after LSK President Faith Odhiambo resigned from the very body he is now petitioning to resurrect.
(Kenyan courts orders, normal operations suspended) The controversy centers on an application by Odhiambo herself and senior presidential adviser Makau Mutua to overturn a High Court order that froze the panel’s activities. LSK’s written submissions urge the appellate court to reject the appeal outright, calling it legally premature and procedurally flawed.
From Advocacy to Resignation — Crisis in the LSK.
Odhiambo had faced sustained pressure in recent days over perceived conflicts of interest and her role in the compensation initiative. Her abrupt resignation from the panel appears to have been followed swiftly by her petition for it to resume—a move LSK accuses of undermining institutional integrity.
In its response to the appeal, LSK argues that the High Court’s orders are still sub judice and that the attempt to leapfrog to the appellate level preempts the lower court’s decisions. LSK also states that the appellants have not shown how the enforcement of the freeze would inflict irreparable harm.
Legal Entrenchments and Political Stakes.
The High Court had on September 8 issued orders suspending the panel’s operations, citing pending legal challenges to its constitutionality and mandate. Odhiambo and Mutua, in their appeal, contended that the panel’s work has already advanced too far to be halted, and alleged non-disclosure and partiality in the earlier proceedings.
They even insinuated that one of the presiding judges in the High Court case may be related to a petitioner in a connected matter. LSK’s counter is firm: such claims should have been handled at the High Court level, not hauled into an appellate court that has no ruling yet to review.
What’s Next — A Key Decision Looms.
As of now, the High Court in Kerugoya has extended the conservatory orders blocking the panel until October 21, keeping the status quo in effect. Tensions intensify as the Court of Appeal process faces its own disruption: Judge Sankale Ole Kantai last week withdrew from the appeal citing a conflict of interest—further delaying resolution.
The outcome of these proceedings is pivotal. Should the appellate court reject the appeal, the panel may remain suspended indefinitely. If overturned, the compensation mechanism would resume amid renewed scrutiny over its legitimacy, structure, and leadership.
This is more than a legal dispute—it is a test of Kenya’s balance between justice for protest victims and the constitutional rule of law. The political implications are explosive, and all eyes now turn to the courts.
