Charles Kanjama SC and Teresia Wavinya Nicholas elected to lead the Law Society of Kenya for 2026-2028, at a ‘pivotal time’ for the nation

Congratulations have flowed for Charles Kanjama SC after it was announced last night that he had been elected as the 52nd President of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), following a ‘strong and energetic’ campaign leading up to yesterday’s polling day that affirmed the exercise of democracy as 8,600 Kenyan lawyers cast ballots. 

“I feel great because Kenyans who are lawyers have exercised their democratic will,” said Kanjama on Kenyan television following the announcement that he had secured 40% more votes than his nearest challenger, policy and legislative development expert Peter Wanyama. “Of course I’m quite delighted, and looking forward to taking up the mantle once IEBC and the elections board of LSK confirm the results, and once we hold our AGM in March, when the transition officially takes place from the 51st President, Faith Odhiambo, of the Law Society of Kenya.”

While the results are provisional until confirmed by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Kanjama reportedly received 3,728 votes yesterday to become the new President, significantly ahead of Wanyama (2,616 votes) and outgoing LSK Vice-President Mwaura Kabata (2,086 votes), who both conceded.

Outgoing LSK President Faith Odhiambo, was one of many to offer hearty congratulations to Kanjama on becoming the Law Society’s 52nd President. She praised his “record of dutiful service to the society and contributions to development of governance in Kenya” that make him “a worthy torchbearer of the LSK's vision and mandate”, while wishing the Senior Counsel all the best for his tenure as President. “You inherit the leadership of a united, stable and forward-looking society which can achieve great success if steered diligently and tactfully,” added Odhiambo. “The people of Kenya will look up to your leadership as we get into a high-stakes electioneering period, and I am hopeful that you will offer the required leadership and remain committed to the rule of law and constitution. Serve with distinction.”

Kanjama, the Managing Partner of Muma & Kanjama Advocates, brings two decades of legal, commercial, and governance expertise to his new role. He was appointed a Senior Counsel in 2022, is also a Certified Public Secretary and Certified Accountant, and has served in various leadership roles, including as the first elected Chairman of the LSK Nairobi Branch, and Chair of the Kenya Christian Professionals Forum.

He campaigned for the LSK Presidency on the basis of a RIPE manifesto, focusing on Rule of Law, Integrity and Independence, Practice and Welfare, and Engagement. 

Speaking on live Kenyan television after the results were announced last night, the Senior Counsel reinforced those principles as he looks to take the baton from Faith Odhiambo and lead the Law Society of Kenya into its next two years, at a pivotal time for Kenya with the East African nation holding its general election in 2027. 

“We need to strengthen the rule of law aspect of the Law Society of Kenya, make it something that is countrywide and also move it from something that is reactive to proactive engagement on the rule of law,” said Kanjama. “We need to champion the integrity and independence of both the bar and bench, and ensure there is greater judicial efficiency and accountability… The Law Society of Kenya [also] has to truly speak for all its member lawyers and ensure they have a good work environment… and finally on matters of engagement, we want a Law Society that engages continuously and effectively with its members, including institutional arrangements.”

Kanjama hopes to bring together Kenyan lawyers, across all of LSK’s branches, chapters, practice centres, and lawyer associations, to increase the power of Kenya’s legal profession for the good of the country and to promote access to justice. 

Kanjama’s deputy will be Teresia (Tess) Wavinya Nicholas, who began her legal career with a strong focus on human rights and civil justice, and is now Managing Partner of her own firm, where she specialises in civil litigation, family law, and corporate compliance. Wavinya is the lead legal advisor to the Governor of Machakos County, spearheading legislative drafting, policy formulation, and compliance. She has also worked with international and local NGOs, providing legal aid to marginalised communities, and served as Convener of the Litigation Committee Council for LSK, where she has been “a fierce advocate for the welfare of young advocates and the digitalisation of LSK services”. 

Reflecting this morning on becoming Vice President-Elect of the LSK, Wavinya praised her fellow candidates, and shared that she accepted the mandate with profound humility and a deep sense of constitutional responsibility. 

“Your vote is not an endorsement of personality; it is a declaration of faith in principled, lawful, and disciplined leadership,” she said. 

Kalonzo Musyoka, a former Vice-President of Kenya, congratulated Kanjama SC on his elevation to LSK President, noting he had a “well earned mandate, grounded in years of principled service, integrity and steadfast commitment to the rule of law”.

Musyoka praised the incoming LSK President’s RIPE agenda as speaking to the moment Kenya finds itself in, and Kanjama SC’s pledges to publish annual Rule of Law reports, to complete the Wakili Towers project transparently, to establish a Training Institute, and strengthen the welfare and mentorship of young advocates as reflecting practical leadership anchored in values. 

“A strong bar is the guardian of a strong Constitution,” added Musyoka. “As we approach the 2027 General Election, the LSK must remain the unwavering sentinel of Chapter Six, the Bill of Rights and judicial independence. I am confident that President Kanjama will rise to that calling.”