The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has demanded an urgent, high-level investigation into the deaths of two advocates within a single week, warning that the killings amount to a direct attack on the legal profession and the rule of law in Kenya.
Kenya Forest Service (KFS) Legal Services Manager Esther Wairimu Keige, 54, went missing on June 10 after leaving her office along Kiambu Road. Her body was later found in an isolated coffee plantation in Area 4 near Karimenu in Juja, Kiambu County. Juja Sub-County Police Commander Isaac Kombo confirmed the discovery, while Keige’s brother also confirmed the remains were found on Monday.
Investigators said the body was intact but had begun decomposing, and two family members who visited the scene positively identified the remains. The body was moved to the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital mortuary pending an autopsy to establish the exact cause of death.
Her death came just 48 hours after the legal fraternity mourned the killing of Advocate Edward Muthee Kariuki, who was found dead outside a residential area in Athi River, Machakos County.
In a statement on Wednesday, LSK President Charles Kanjama said the back-to-back killings could not be dismissed as coincidence. He described the deaths of two ministers of justice within a single week as a declaration of war against the rule of law and a sign that Kenya is sliding into an era of unchecked criminality and institutional collapse.
The Society has demanded that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the National Police Service’s Internal Affairs Unit jointly establish an independent multi-agency homicide team to pursue not just the perpetrators, but also anyone who may have planned, financed or benefited from the killings.
LSK also called for a forensic audit of all land acquisition, leasing and alienation files handled by the KFS legal department over the past 12 months, saying this could help identify corporate interests possibly linked to Keige’s death, given her role overseeing sensitive land and conservation matters.
The Society further demanded immediate security and institutional protection for advocates serving in public regulatory bodies who face pressure while safeguarding public assets from corruption.
To honour their slain colleagues, LSK announced a Nationwide Advocates’ March for Justice on Friday, July 10. Participants will assemble at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi from 9:00 a.m. before proceeding to National Police Service headquarters to present a petition to the Inspector-General of Police.
Advocates, judicial officers, law students and members of the public have been invited to join, with formal dress and purple ribbons requested as a mark of solidarity.
Police say they are recording statements from family members of both victims as investigations continue.
