Kenyan Democracy at Risk Young Lawyers Demand Immediate Reforms

The Young Lawyers for Justice (YLJ), a coalition of legal professionals committed to upholding constitutionality, human rights and the rule of law, has issued a strong statement condemning the systemic erosion of Kenya’s democratic foundations.

The group highlights a series of pressing concerns, including attacks on judicial independence, enforced disappearances, economic mismanagement and privacy violations, calling for immediate government action to reverse the trend of institutional decline.

Assault on Judicial IndependenceKenya’s judiciary, constitutionally safeguarded under Article 160, is facing an unprecedented assault. The executive’s open defiance of court orders, as well as intimidation and coercion of judges, is a direct affront to the rule of law.

The YLJ warns that such actions violate the UN Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary (1985) and Article 26 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, pushing Kenya towards “institutionalized impunity.”“We urge the government to respect the doctrine of separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary,” the YLJ stated.

“We also call on judicial officers to remain steadfast in delivering justice despite mounting pressure.