In a stunning reversal that has captured national legal headlines, the Supreme Court of Kenya has lifted the two-year ban that barred Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi and his law firm from appearing before the country’s highest court, restoring his right to practise at the apex level after a prolonged and high-profile legal confrontation.
The landmark decision, delivered on January 23, 2026, follows assurances from Ahmednasir’s camp that he will refrain from public attacks on the judiciary and conduct himself with decorum in future proceedings.
Ahmednasir, one of Kenya’s most prominent litigators, was originally sanctioned in January 2024 after the Supreme Court ruled that his persistent public criticism of the judiciary — including allegations of corruption and incompetence in mainstream and social media — had undermined the institution’s integrity and reputation.
At the time, the court barred him, his law firm, and any advocate acting on his instructions from appearing before it, a penalty described by some legal analysts as unprecedented in Kenya’s judicial history.
In the latest ruling, a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Martha Koome noted that the two-year period had provided Ahmednasir with “sufficient opportunity to reflect” on his relationship with the judiciary and committed that he would respect the authority and dignity of the court going forward.
The court clarified that the original 2024 order could not be vacated in the present proceedings but confirmed that from the date of this ruling, Ahmednasir, his law firm, and anyone acting under his instructions may appear and practise before the Supreme Court.
The application to lift the ban was advanced by Senior Counsel Paul Muite and Senior Counsel Fred Ngatia, who argued that the sanction had fulfilled its corrective purpose and that continued prohibition was no longer justified. They assured the bench that Ahmednasir had committed to engaging in professional, respectful discourse with the judiciary.
Legal commentators say the decision could reshape professional dynamics at the apex court, particularly in high-stakes constitutional and human rights cases where Ahmednasir’s firm has often played leading roles. However, critics stress that the episode highlights ongoing tensions between free expression rights for lawyers and the imperative to maintain respect for judicial institutions.
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