As the sun sets on her tenure, Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo reflects on a term marked by fierce battles, tough choices and a nagging sense that time ran out on some of her boldest ambitions.
In a candid exit interview, Odhiambo opened up about the controversies, reforms and deep regrets that have defined her leadership — a period during which Kenya grappled with rising legal challenges, police brutality protests and intense debates over rule-of-law reforms.
Odhiambo took office with high public praise for her vigorous defence of protesters’ rights during the Kenya Finance Bill demonstrations, earning her the moniker “The People’s Chief Justice” for her outspoken and hands-on legal support for victims of police excesses.
She championed accountability and repeatedly challenged government institutions — most recently in taking up the controversial battle over judicial oversight when the High Court ruled that the Judicial Service Commission’s (JSC) powers were stalled by lack of gazetted complaint procedures. Under her watch, LSK vowed to appeal and push for reform to protect judicial accountability, as Odhiambo argued that procedural gaps should not paralyze constitutional bodies.
Yet her tenure may be most remembered for a deep divide within civil society and the profession itself over her role with the government’s Victims Compensation Panel. Appointed as Vice Chairperson of the panel — intended to design reparations for victims of protests — Odhiambo defended her decision as a chance to shape justice from within.
The move, however, sparked fierce criticism — with opponents arguing she had walked into a political minefield, and supporters countering that she was wrongly painted as compromised. The pivot contrasted sharply with her earlier principled rejection, in 2024, of a presidential task force on auditing public debt — a stance many saw as constitutional stewardship.
Ultimately, Odhiambo resigned from the compensation panel as legal challenges stalled its work, leaving many to ask whether a rare window for genuine reform had slipped through LSK’s fingers.
Her term was not without friction. Government officials, including Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen, publicly urged LSK not to “retreat to the sidelines” but to engage constructively with state reform efforts — a critique many interpreted as aimed at Odhiambo’s leadership approach.
Inside the legal community, debates erupted over whether LSK’s activism helped or hindered systemic change, with some colleagues and former presidents questioning strategic decisions. Critics argued that while Odhiambo’s rhetoric was powerful, some reforms remained unfinished business by the time she stepped down.
In her exit remarks, Odhiambo admitted that despite her relentless drive, time was never on her side — especially when confronting entrenched legal institutions and competing political interests. Yet she stood by her record of defending civil liberties, pushing for judicial accountability and advocating for victims of state excesses.
As LSK prepares to usher in new leadership ahead of the 2027 general elections, many in the legal fraternity see Odhiambo’s legacy as complex but consequential — a mix of bold legal battles, contested partnerships and unfinished reform agendas.
Only time will tell if the missed opportunities of her tenure become lessons for her successors — or warnings about the limits of legal activism in Kenya’s charged political landscape.
