SC Dr Moses Wetang’ula
NAIROBI, Kenya (IP)
President William Ruto on Tuesday conferred the prestigious rank of Senior Counsel on 54 advocates, honoring senior legal practitioners drawn from public service, private practice and academia in a ceremony at State House, Nairobi.
Among those elevated were National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, National Intelligence Service Director-General Noordin Haji, Data Protection Commissioner Immaculate Kassait and former Law Society of Kenya President Allen Gichuhi Theuri.
The conferment followed recommendations by the Committee on Senior Counsel, a body established under the Advocates Act to assess lawyers with at least 15 years’ standing and distinguished service to the legal profession.
Senior Counsel is the highest professional rank for advocates in Kenya and is awarded to lawyers who demonstrate exceptional legal scholarship, integrity and contribution to the development of the law.
In his remarks, Ruto said the honor recognized excellence and public service, and urged the new Senior Counsel to uphold the rule of law and support reforms in the justice sector.
“The rank of Senior Counsel carries with it a duty to advance constitutionalism, mentor younger advocates and safeguard the independence of our institutions,” Ruto said.
Wetang’ula, a longtime lawyer and former Cabinet minister, was cited for decades of legal practice and public service.
Haji, who previously served as director of public prosecutions, was recognized for his role in criminal justice and state service.
Kassait was acknowledged for her work in data protection and privacy law, a growing area in Kenya’s digital economy.
Theuri was praised for his leadership of the bar and advocacy for legal reforms during his tenure at the LSK.
The list also included senior advocates from private practice, university lecturers, constitutional litigators and corporate lawyers, reflecting a broad cross-section of Kenya’s legal community.
The Senior Counsel rank, often compared to the Queen’s Counsel designation in the United Kingdom, allows recipients to use the title “SC” after their names and places them among the country’s most eminent lawyers.
Kenya now has several hundred Senior Counsel since the rank was first conferred in 2003.
