Lawyers to face action over papers

By MANGOA MOSOTA

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has commenced disciplinary action against five lawyers who filed poll appeals without valid practicing certificates (PC).

LSK Secretary and CEO Apollo Mboya said the legal staff will appear before the Advocates Disciplinary Tribunal next month.

“We are concerned as a legal professional body that some election petitions are being dismissed on grounds that advocates who filed the suits lack valid practicing certificates (PC) for this year,” said Mr Mboya.

He said it was professional misconduct for an advocate of the High Court of Kenya to file suit without a valid PC for the current year as provided in Section 9 of the Advocates Act.

Mboya said the legal officers set to face disciplinary action include Anziya Laban Akula who last held a PC in 2011.

“Election petition number 2 of 2013 in the Chief Magistrate’s court by petitioner Okwemba Milsadeck Elisaphan was dismissed because Mr Akula was not licensed to practice,” Mboya said. He said the Senior Principal Magistrate at Kigumo Law Courts also dismissed election petition number 1 of 2013.