The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has widened its protest against the Judiciary by directing advocates to stop appearing before 12 judges and one magistrate from Thursday, saying the judicial officers obtained court orders that blocked disciplinary action or investigations against them.
The boycott will remain in force until the orders are lifted, setting the stage for a fresh confrontation between lawyers and the Judiciary.
The targeted action will begin a day after the society's planned nationwide one-day court boycott on Wednesday. In a notice signed by LSK President Charles Kanjama, advocates were instructed not to appear before the listed judicial officers because they had secured orders suspending proceedings by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) or the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
“The targeted boycott will commence on Thursday, July 23, 2026, being the day after the general boycott, and will continue indefinitely until the respective court orders restraining the actions of the Judicial Service Commission, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and/or the Directorate of Criminal Investigations are set aside,” the notice states.
Those named are Chief Justice Martha Koome, Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu, Supreme Court judges Smokin Wanjala, Njoki Ndung'u and Isaac Lenaola, Court of Appeal judge Sankale Ole Kantai, High Court judges Josephine Mong'are, Anthony Ombwayo, Lucas Naikuni, Dora Chepkwony and Lucy Waithaka, together with Chief Magistrate Stella Atambo.
The Supreme Court judges moved to the High Court in 2025 after the JSC sought their responses to petitions seeking their removal over alleged judicial misconduct following the decision that barred lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi from appearing before the Supreme Court.
Justice Kantai obtained orders in 2021 stopping JSC proceedings arising from a misconduct complaint linked to the murder of Dutch businessman Tob Cohen. The High Court later quashed the JSC summons in December 2025 after finding them unconstitutional.
Justice Mong'are secured High Court orders in March 2026 preventing the EACC from summoning or investigating her over alleged corruption connected to a commercial dispute involving former Cabinet minister Raphael Tuju's assets and a Sh1.9 billion bank loan.
Chief Magistrate Atambo also obtained High Court orders in 2025 stopping the EACC, DCI and the Director of Public Prosecutions from investigating, arresting or prosecuting her after detectives recovered Sh2 million in cash during a search of her home.
The remaining judges also secured court orders suspending disciplinary proceedings or investigations while contesting complaints lodged against them. Some of those matters are still awaiting determination before the High Court and the Court of Appeal.
The list was released a day after the Judiciary announced that courts would continue operating despite the planned nationwide boycott.
Judiciary spokesperson Paul Ndemo described the planned action as "not an appropriate or proportionate response", saying it would mainly affect litigants whose matters are already scheduled for hearing.
“Public accusations, however serious, cannot substitute for a fair investigation or displace the constitutional and statutory procedures established for addressing complaints,” Ndemo said.
He called on advocates to pursue their concerns through dialogue and constitutional channels instead of staying away from court proceedings. He added that complaints against judges should be addressed through the JSC and the Office of the Judiciary Ombudsman in line with the law.
The LSK announced the industrial action last week, accusing the Judiciary of failing to deal effectively with corruption, judicial misconduct, delays in hearing cases, registry inefficiencies and weak accountability despite years of engagement.
Under the society's operational guidelines, advocates appearing before the affected judicial officers have been advised to seek the transfer of cases to other judges, apply for recusal where necessary or ask for adjournments. The LSK also wants the listed judges to restrict themselves to delivering pending rulings and judgments without taking up new matters.
The Kenya Magistrates and Judges Association has also opposed the planned boycott, urging the LSK to resolve the dispute through dialogue instead of disrupting court operations.
While reaffirming its zero-tolerance stand on judicial misconduct and corruption, the association maintained that complaints against judges should be handled through the JSC and the Judiciary Ombudsman in line with the Constitution and the law.
The standoff has now grown into one of the biggest disputes between the legal profession and the Judiciary in recent years, with both sides holding firm on how judges should be held accountable.
While the LSK insists the boycott will continue until the restraining court orders are lifted, the Judiciary maintains that judicial officers can only be subjected to the constitutional processes already provided by law.SK Escalates Judiciary Row With Indefinite Boycott of 13 Judicial Officers