Kenyan lawyer Maria Mbeneka lands top global role

Lawyer Maria Mbeneka during a past event at Nanyuki Stadium in Laikipia County. [Mose Sammy, Standard]

Kenyan lawyer has been elected to sit at a top position of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association.

Maria Mbeneka, a partner of Mbeneka Advocates LLP has been elected to serve as the honorary treasurer of the CLA for the next three years.

The body unites lawyers from Commonwealth member countries in promoting the rule of law, and to ensure an independent and efficient legal profession across the Commonwealth.

Mbeneka has been serving as a Council member of CLA since 2019, and is also a former Council member of Law Society of Kenya (LSK).

At LSK, Mbeneka served as Treasurer and General Member Representative in the 2018-2020 Council.

In early 2020, she contested for the LSK president position but lost to the "Brave New Bar" movement of Nelson Havi.

"It's an honour to serve the profession, and by extension the people of the Commonwealth," Mbeneka told the Standard.

Mbeneka previously served as the Vice President of the East Africa Law Society from 2016-2018, was a member of Kenya's Industrial Property Tribunal between 2010 and 2013 and is currently a member of the Cooperative Tribunal.

She holds an LLB First Class Honours from an Indian university, and a diploma from Kenya School of Law.

Elected to serve alongside her at CLA is Dr. Peter Maynard (Bahamas) as the President and Linda Kasonde (Zimbabwe), Hasan Ifran Khan (Pakistan), Mark Stephens (England) as joint Vice Presidents representing the various regions.