Constitutionalism, not fundamentalism: A key value that the LSK President should have

In the words of the Chief Justice Emeritus,

Dr. Willy Mutunga, “A constitution does not

survive because it is beautifully written.

It survives because people defend it.” The

Law Society of Kenya (LSK) being one of

the bodies that is mandated to defend the

constitution, its President should definitely

be someone who embodies the values of

constitutionalism, and not someone who

has opposed the 2010 Constitution, which

has already delivered, and will continue to

deliver, profound benefits to the Kenyan

people.

With Faith Odhiambo having shown

Kenyans the power that LSK has had

especially during the June 2024 Protests

around good governance, protecting

this reputation and keeping the LSK free

from interference is essential. The 2010

Constitution has brought important gains for

Kenyans, and these must be safeguarded.

In 2026, a year already charged with

emotion and intense political campaigning

ahead of the 2027 elections, Senior Counsel

Charles Kanjama was elected President

of the Law Society of Kenya. As he takes

office, it is vital that he leads a vigilant LSK

that listens to and responds to the concerns

of citizens, not just those of its members.

He must be observant to a parliament

that remains selfish in most of its work in

recent times, to a judiciary that remains

underfunded and backlogged with numerous

cases, to an EACC and ODPP that is just

there. Time is not ripe for a conservative

President who may quickly support the

current government of the day as opposed to

the rule of law. He must make LSK stronger,

Faith has shown us the power of LSK, the