Lawyers across the country stayed away from court hearings on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, as the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) officially commenced a one-day nationwide boycott to protest persistent administrative failures and an alleged lack of accountability within the Judiciary.

Under the terms of the boycott, advocates refrained from taking part in substantive court hearings and applications.

However, law firms continued to file court documents, while mentions and interim applications proceeded strictly for the purpose of securing fresh hearing dates or extending existing court orders.

The action, spearheaded by LSK President Charles Kanjama, stems from deep-seated frustration among advocates over structural breakdowns in court operations and what the society terms a systematic erosion of judicial integrity.

Prominent senior counsel and legal figures observed in attendance and supporting the cause included: Nelson Havi, Philip Murgor, Ndegwa Njiru, and Ahmednasir Abdullahi, an outspoken critic in the national dialogue surrounding judicial performance and anti-corruption measures.

According to the LSK, the society has held at least five formal institutional meetings with the Judiciary over the past two years, reaching mutual agreements on key operational fixes.

However, the LSK maintains that these engagements yielded virtually no tangible progress, leading to a total breakdown of confidence between the Bar and the Bench.

The LSK cited a recent surge in “immunity orders” as the primary tipping point for the industrial action.

The society expressed outrage after several judges and judicial officers obtained orders from fellow courts blocking the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) from investigating or processing corruption and misconduct complaints against them.

The society forcefully argued that these protective court orders represent a grave abuse of judicial power designed to shield corrupt officers from public scrutiny and oversight.

Despite the boycott, the Judiciary issued an official statement assuring the public that court operations remained active nationwide.

“The Judiciary assures the public that all courts throughout the Republic will remain open and will continue hearing and determining matters as scheduled on Wednesday, 22 July 2026,” the Judiciary stated, noting that litigants were free to proceed self-represented if necessary.

Meanwhile, the Kenya Magistrates and Judges Association (KMJA) acknowledged the boycott, stating it “does not take lightly” the grievances raised by the LSK.

However, the association urged the legal fraternity to call off the boycott and return to constructive dialogue.

“Such engagement provides the most appropriate avenue for candid discussion, principled resolution of concerns and the strengthening of institutional cooperation in the public interest,” the KMJA noted in a statement.