NAIROBI, Kenya — Former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Nelson Havi has revealed details of his recent meeting with Chief Justice Martha Koome, saying the engagement signals a shift from confrontation to cooperation in efforts to reform Kenya’s judiciary and tackle alleged corruption among judges.
Speaking during an interview on NTV on Thursday, Havi said the meeting marked a new phase after months of public criticism of the Judiciary by himself and fellow Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi.
“We met up with the Chief Justice, and this was our enterprise; we want to help her deal with incompetent and corrupt judges,” Havi said.
The senior counsel, who has been a vocal critic of alleged judicial corruption—popularly referred to as “jurispesa”—said the decision to engage Judiciary leadership directly followed a year-long public campaign that yielded limited results.
“We declared war for a whole wide year, and the results of the war were seen. Nobody won, nobody lost,” he said.
Havi explained that he and Ahmednasir have now adopted a collaborative approach, offering to share intelligence and work with the Chief Justice to resolve internal challenges within the Judiciary.
He dismissed claims that the engagement amounted to a compromise or political capitulation, insisting the move was driven by shared reform objectives.
“People say Havi and Ahmed have been bought. Bought for what? You have no right to determine how we’ll sign the peace treaty with the Chief Justice,” he said.
Havi praised Koome’s leadership, describing her as principled and open to dialogue despite sustained criticism directed at the Judiciary under her tenure.
“Martha Koome is not corrupt. There are bad judges, yes, but she is not one of them. It takes courage to ask, ‘Can we work together?’” he said.
The former LSK president said the goal of the engagement is to strengthen judicial independence, improve accountability, and restore public confidence in the courts—at a time when the Judiciary faces increasing scrutiny over integrity, delays, and perceived influence.
The Constitution guarantees judicial independence under Article 160, while oversight mechanisms such as the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) are mandated to address misconduct and discipline judicial officers. Allegations of corruption within the courts have, however, remained a recurring public concern.
Havi’s remarks come days after he formally declared his intention to contest the Westlands parliamentary seat in the 2027 General Election under former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP).
His entry into elective politics is expected to further sharpen debate around judicial reform, separation of powers, and the role of senior advocates in shaping governance and accountability discourse.
