This archive report was first published on 14 October 2019.
On October 14, 2019, a dramatic scene unfolded at Kakamega Law Courts when a magistrate ordered a lawyer to be held in a cell to sober up after appearing in court drunk.
The lawyer, representing a client charged with being drunk and disorderly, struggled to stay on his feet and barely held court files in his hands.
After sensing the lawyer's inebriated state, the magistrate asked him to produce his practising license, stating, "You are in contempt of court for addressing the court while drunk."
The magistrate further directed court orderlies to arrest the lawyer and lock him in cells within the court precincts, citing that she would not tolerate such behavior.
However, the orders were short-lived as other lawyers demanded that their colleague be released, prompting the magistrate to order his release.
