The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) elections conducted last week Thursday marked a historic milestone for the lawyers’ body.
The election saw the female lawyers outdo their male counterparts in representation in the council by winning 10 out of 13 seats, consequently tipping the gender-balance scale. The results present a rare case in the country where the two-thirds gender rule is violated with the female wing dominating.
The only other time that the society came close to such a milestone was in 2001 when Raychelle Omamo, the current Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary, won the chairperson’s seat. She was, and still remains, the only woman to ever head the body.
The new council has Nelson Havi, the President, Bernard Ngetich, General Representative, and George Omwansa, Senior representative, as the only elected male representatives.
The remaining seats in the council are held by Carolyne Kamende, the Vice-president; Aluso Ingati, Faith Odhiambo and Carolyne Mutheu as the Nairobi representatives; Ndinda Kinyili, Beth Michoma as General representative; Linda Riziki, Coast representative; Esther Angawa, Upcountry representative; and Herine Kabita and Roseline Odhiambo-Odede as Senior representatives.
Two ladies were battling the chairperson’s seat, lawyers Harriette Chiggai and Maria Mbeneka, against two men, Nelson Havi and Charles Kanjama.