Charles Kanjama, SC, a presidential aspirant for the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), has strongly condemned the violent disruption of a church service in Othaya on Sunday, describing it as a “gross violation of fundamental human rights.”
In a statement shared on X, Kanjama said the incident, which involved teargassing worshippers including women, children, and the elderly, reflects “constitutional decay and intentional violation of human rights.”
He warned that such acts of impunity are enabled when institutions tasked with safeguarding rights are weakened or compromised.
Kanjama specifically criticized what he described as attempts to capture the Law Society of Kenya, saying a “captured or timid LSK is a gift to authoritarianism.”
He emphasized that the society was established not to seek comfort in power but to confront abuse, expose illegality, and defend the Constitution without fear or favor.
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“The attempt to capture the Law Society of Kenya is deliberate and intentional,” Kanjama said. “Any LSK leadership focused on proximity to power instead of securing independence of the Bar is not neutral—it is complicit.”
The aspirant framed his campaign for the 52nd LSK presidency around defending independence and confronting state capture.
He urged members to reject “safe, sponsored, or silent leadership” and instead vote for a “fearless and uncompromised” society that stands firmly against human rights violations.
Kanjama’s statement comes amid heightened public scrutiny of state interventions in civic spaces and growing calls for robust legal leadership to uphold constitutional freedoms.
His campaign appears to be positioning him as a vocal defender of rights at a time when many Kenyans are concerned about the erosion of democratic institutions.
He called on LSK members to support his bid, pledging that, if elected, the society will actively defend human rights, challenge abuses of power, and maintain its independence from political influence.