Wanyama Flags Legal Practice Risks as LSK Presidential Race Gathers Pace
By Peace Muthoka
Lawyer Peter Wanyama has stepped up his bid for the presidency of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), warning that the legal profession faces mounting threats from digitisation, market-driven reforms, and what he described as weak and unresponsive leadership.
His remarks come as the Law Society of Kenya prepares for its March 2026 elections, with the Society announcing that several senior positions will fall vacant. These include the offices of president, vice-president, and three representatives of the general membership, setting the stage for a closely contested race.
On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, Wanyama held an interactive engagement with lawyers, where he responded to questions from practitioners, outlined his vision for the Society, and shared key pillars of his manifesto.
During the forum, Wanyama cautioned that proposed technological reforms, particularly in compensation and personal injury claims, could fundamentally disrupt legal practice. He warned that emerging models seek to automate compensation through electronic platforms, effectively removing lawyers from the process.
“In such a system, you do not need a lawyer to sue,” Wanyama said. “If a road accident occurs, compensation becomes automatic and prescribed.”
He argued that insurance companies favour such systems because they reduce payouts and eliminate legal fees. According to Wanyama, insurers present direct compensation as beneficial to victims, even though it significantly diminishes the role of legal representation.
“This is market economics at work,” he said. “If this model is introduced, legal practitioners will face a very serious risk.”
Wanyama warned that these proposals are often packaged under the appeal of digitisation and artificial intelligence, making them popular with members of the public while quietly threatening the sustainability of legal practice.
He stressed that the impact would be felt across the country, not just in Nairobi. Lawyers in smaller towns and rural areas, particularly firms specialising in personal injury and compensation claims, would be significantly affected.
Despite the risks, Wanyama noted that such reforms enjoy strong public support and are backed by well-resourced lobbying efforts, increasing their chances of advancing through the legislative process.
That reality, he said, underscores the need for strong, proactive leadership at the Law Society of Kenya.
“For more than a decade, LSK leadership has not adequately addressed the real challenges faced by practitioners,” Wanyama said, describing the relationship between the Society and its members as mechanical and disconnected.
He criticised leaders who campaign on practitioners’ concerns only to abandon them once elected, citing unresolved issues such as practising allowances for in-house counsel.
According to Wanyama, the Society is suffering from leadership inertia, where movement exists but lacks direction and urgency.
“Leadership must be pushed forward with fresh ideas,” he said. “Change will not happen if we continue thinking within the same limits.”
He also raised concerns over court orders and policy trends that he believes marginalise lawyers, including decisions discouraging public agencies from procuring external legal services. Such actions, he argued, contradict constitutional principles of equality and fair procurement.
“If public funds can pay doctors, engineers, and advertisers, there is no justification for excluding lawyers,” Wanyama said.
He warned that failure to confront these developments could have far-reaching consequences for the profession, urging LSK to actively monitor both current and future risks within the legal economy.
“A lot is happening in the legal market,” he said. “If we do not push back now, we will lose.”
The LSK elections are scheduled for March 2026, with candidates expected to intensify campaigns as they seek to shape the future of the legal profession in Kenya.
