This archive report was first published on 24 July 2021.
July 24, 2021 - Nairobi, Kenya - The Employment and Labor Relations court has intervened in a long-standing leadership dispute at the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), stopping the recruitment of a new CEO.
High Court Judge Maureen Odero issued an order on July 23, preserving the position of incumbent CEO Mercy Wambua pending an inter partes hearing on July 29.
LSK had invited applications to fill the CEO position, attracting three candidates, but the interview process was put on hold after the society's offices were sealed off for fumigation.
The dispute between LSK Chairman Nelson Havi and CEO Mercy Wambua dates back to October 2020, when Havi declared Wambua sacked over allegations of embezzlement. Wambua had secured court orders barring her removal from office, and a divided council later voted to reinstate her.
Wambua had also filed a police complaint against Havi, alleging that he assaulted her on July 12, 2021, after she refused to leave a meeting. Havi was later arrested by agents from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over impending assault charges.
