Lawyer Pheroze Nowrojee: Legal luminary who fought for justice

Senior Lawyer Pheroze Nowrojee at the supreme court during a presidential election petition.[File, Standard]

Senior Counsel Pheroze Nowrojee has been eulogised as a distinguished lawyer who stood for justice and dignity, and as a mentor to many in the legal profession.

“Pheroze Norwojee was one of Kenya’s most distinguished legal minds, a constitutional scholar, human rights advocate, political strategist, writer, poet and public intellectual, whose life was marked by unwavering commitment to justice and dignity.”

These are the words contained in his seven-page eulogy book titled “A Life of Principle, Justice and Quiet Power.” Pheroze published books including a ‘Kenyan Journey’, ‘Dukawalla and Other Stories’, ‘Station Master’, ‘Eburru’ and ‘Pio Gama Pinto: Patriot for Social Justice’.

In a celebration event held at the National Museums of Kenya’s Richard Leaky Auditorium in Nairobi on Thursday evening, speakers in glowing tributes recalled how the late advocate helped them to get justice without asking for pay. They described him as a humble man who never sought fame in what he did, like other lawyers do.

The late advocate of the High Court who practised in Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar died peacefully after a short illness on April 5, 2025, in Virginia, US, at the age of 84. He was cremated, and his remains were brought to Kenya recently. He left behind his wife Villoo and three children Binaifer, Sia and Elchi, who were all present at the celebration event. 

The celebration was attended by many legal professionals, who also included opposition leaders Kalonzo Musyoka, Martha Karua, former Chief Justice David Maraga, human rights lawyer, politician and journalist Gitobu Imanyara, Lamu County Governor Issa Timamy and human rights activist Al-Amin Kimathi.

Pheroze helped Mathare Social Justice Centre, whose contribution to social justice was brought out by Brian Mathenge, Njeri Mwangi and Njoki Gachanja.

“Pheroze was more than a friend and comrade, he was a gentile giant whose lauored us through the corridors of justice. He was an extraordinary human being, a person with deep conviction about the rule of law, fairness and justice,” said Karua.

 Karua said Pheroze kept fidelity to the law to the extent of making money, but it was about justice. “The number of cases Pheroze handled, if it were about money, he would be one of the richest lawyers in town.  But instead, he was the greatest pro bono lawyer I ever met,” she said.

Governor Timamy, who said he first met the late in early 1979 as a first-year law student at the University of Nairobi and who taught him Constitutional law, recalled how in 2014, when he was arrested with trumped-up terrorism charges, he stood in to represent him pro bono.

Imanyara mourned him as a “colleague, elder brother in the pursuit of justice, teacher, mentor and as fellow traveller in the long journey towards a just and democratic Kenya.”

Deus Rweyemamu, a Tanzanian democracy, governance and development expert, challenged lawyers in East Africa to consider establishing a moot court on human rights law in honour of Pheroze.

Khaminwa challenged the Nairobi County Government to consider naming a street after Pheroze in his remembrance.