NAIROBI, Kenya- The Law Society of Kenya has confirmed the death of advocate Esther Wairimu Keige, weeks after she went missing, escalating concerns within Kenya’s legal fraternity following the killing of another lawyer just days earlier.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, LSK President Charles Kanjama said the society had received confirmation that Keige had died after “weeks of anxious searching and fervent hope” that she would be found alive.
Kanjama extended condolences to Keige’s family, friends, colleagues at the Kenya Forest Service and the wider legal fraternity.
Keige, who served as the Kenya Forest Service’s Manager of Legal Services, disappeared on June 10 after leaving work.
Her body was discovered on July 7 in Juja, Kiambu County, and moved to the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital mortuary pending a post-mortem examination.
Police have launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding her death.
The LSK noted that Keige’s death came less than 48 hours after the killing of advocate Edward Muthee Kariuki in Athi River, describing the two incidents as a serious threat to the rule of law.
In its statement, the society called for an immediate joint investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Internal Affairs Unit to establish an independent multi-agency homicide team tasked with identifying those responsible for both killings.
The lawyers’ body also demanded a forensic audit of all active land acquisition, leasing and alienation files handled by the Kenya Forest Service’s legal department over the past 12 months, saying the review should establish whether any contested matters could be linked to Keige’s death.
Additionally, the LSK urged the government to provide security and institutional protection for advocates serving in public regulatory agencies who may face threats while carrying out their duties.
“The Law Society of Kenya states unequivocally: we will not be intimidated, we will not look away, and we will not allow the blood of our colleagues to be shed with impunity,” Kanjama said.
Authorities have not announced any arrests or identified suspects in connection with either Keige’s death or the killing of Kariuki. Investigations remain ongoing.