Progress Beyond Promises”: Mwaura Kabata Launches SDG-Driven Manifesto in Bid for LSK Presidency
By Irene
Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Vice President Mwaura Kabata has officially launched his manifesto for the presidency of the Society, unveiling an ambitious, SDG-aligned agenda anchored on unity, devolution, institutional development, and unwavering defence of the rule of law.
Speaking during the launch, Kabata framed his leadership journey as a decade-long voyage marked by resilience, service, and reform, likening the LSK to a ship that has weathered treacherous waters and is now charting a clear course towards what he termed “Progress Beyond Promises.”
Drawing from his personal journey into the legal profession—one shaped by rejection, persistence, and eventual triumph—Kabata positioned himself as a product of the very struggles many advocates endure. He noted that his path through Catholic University of Eastern Africa and the Kenya School of Law was neither smooth nor guaranteed, but one that strengthened his resolve to serve the profession with humility and determination.
Kabata highlighted his four-year tenure in the LSK Council, including two years as Vice President, as one of the most defining periods in the Society’s recent history. He credited the collective effort of young advocates, the mid-bar, senior counsel, and the outgoing leadership for restoring stability, professionalism, and public confidence in the LSK.
Under the current leadership, Kabata said, the Society has reclaimed unity after years of division, embraced digitization through systems such as the Judiciary Advocate Management System, and transformed LSK into a paperless, cost-effective institution. He also pointed to the establishment of the Taskforce on Ethics and Efficiency in the Judiciary and Registries as a bold step in addressing corruption, inefficiency, and accountability within institutions critical to legal practice.
On financial stewardship, Kabata noted that LSK’s investment revenue had nearly doubled—from KShs. 241 million in 2022 to KShs. 495 million by the end of 2025—strengthening the Society’s sustainability and capacity to serve members. He further cited welfare gains, including reduced practicing certificate fees for young advocates and the introduction of enhanced medical insurance covers, as evidence that member wellbeing remains central to his agenda.
Devolution emerged as a cornerstone of Kabata’s manifesto. He pledged to further empower branches through increased budgetary allocations, strengthened partnerships for fundraising, and equitable representation in statutory nominations and LSK committees. He underscored the importance of taking Society activities closer to members, referencing past AGMs, Justice Games, and CPDs held across different regions.
Looking ahead, Kabata announced that the long-awaited Wakili Towers project would break ground on 30th January 2026, marking a major milestone in the physical and institutional development of the Society.
Positioning the LSK as a renewed bastion of constitutionalism, Kabata reaffirmed the Society’s readiness to take principled stands even in moments of national controversy. He emphasized that under his leadership, the LSK would continue to demand accountability, uphold judicial integrity, and, where necessary, institute contempt proceedings against institutions that defy court orders.
Concluding his address, Kabata called on advocates to look beyond past achievements and rally behind a shared roadmap for the future—one that is inclusive, progressive, and firmly rooted in action rather than rhetoric.
With his manifesto launch, Mwaura Kabata has formally entered the LSK presidential race, presenting himself as a steady hand promising continuity, reform, and a profession that truly delivers progress beyond promises.
