Former Law Society of Kenya president Nelson Havi has triggered strong reactions after issuing a hard-hitting statement on Uganda’s handling of opposition figures and members of the legal profession.
In a post shared on social media, Havi criticized the Ugandan government over the reported abduction of lawyer Erias Lukwago, who is facing charges linked to misprision of treason.
He also condemned the reported deportation of Kenyan politician and lawyer Martha Karua, who had travelled to attend Lukwago’s bail hearing on Monday but was denied entry and sent back to Kenya.
Havi alleged that authorities in Uganda were interfering with judicial independence and intimidating judicial officers, including magistrates and judges, as well as lawyers representing opposition figures.
However, it is his concluding remarks that have drawn particular attention and controversy.
In the statement, Havi used extreme and widely condemned language suggesting that instead of prolonged legal processes, severe violence against opposition leaders, their advocates, and judicial officers would be “more understandable” than what he described as ongoing suffering and detention.
The remarks have been interpreted by many observers as inflammatory, with critics arguing that they appear to normalise extrajudicial violence against both political opponents and members of the judiciary.
Legal commentators have also raised concerns over the implications of such rhetoric coming from a senior legal practitioner and former head of Kenya’s leading professional body for lawyers.