NAIROBI, Kenya- Supreme Court Judge Ibrahim Mohammed Kadhar Ibrahim has died, family sources have confirmed, marking the end of a distinguished legal career that spanned more than four decades and left a lasting imprint on Kenya’s justice system.
Sources close to the family said Justice Ibrahim had been taken to India for specialised treatment, but doctors later advised that he be brought back home to Kenya for his final days.
Before joining the Bench, Justice Ibrahim had already built a formidable reputation as a trailblazing advocate, human rights defender, and public-interest lawyer.
Admitted to the Bar in 1982, he made history as the first member of the Kenyan Somali community to be admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
He practised with several leading law firms before establishing his own practice, during which he became deeply involved in civic advocacy and public interest litigation at a time when Kenya was undergoing intense political repression.
Justice Ibrahim worked closely with organisations such as Kituo cha Sheria, the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, and as a founding trustee of the Mwangaza Trust, consistently championing access to justice, inclusion, and the protection of fundamental rights.
During the struggle for multiparty democracy in the late 1980s and early 1990s, he stood firmly with pro-democracy activists, offering legal support to detainees and marginalised communities.
His principled stance led to his detention without trial—an experience that would later shape his deep commitment to constitutionalism, the rule of law, and human dignity.
He later served as a Council Member of the Law Society of Kenya before joining the Judiciary in 2003 as a High Court judge, serving in various stations with distinction.
In 2011, Justice Ibrahim was elevated to the Supreme Court as part of its inaugural bench, tasked with interpreting and giving life to the transformative 2010 Constitution. His tenure was marked by intellectual depth, calm impartiality, and a strong concern for vulnerable groups.
In 2022, he was unanimously elected by his peers to represent the Supreme Court at the Judicial Service Commission, where he played a key role in advancing judicial independence, accountability, and institutional integrity.
A jurist of humility and principle, Justice Ibrahim will be remembered as a steadfast defender of constitutionalism, electoral justice, and the rule of law, whose legacy will endure within Kenya’s legal and judicial landscape.
