By Staff Reporter
National Assembly Speaker Moses Masika Wetang’ula is among 54 advocates recommended for conferment of the prestigious rank of Senior Counsel, placing him in a select group poised to join the highest class of Kenya’s legal profession.
The Committee on Senior Counsel, established under the Advocates (Senior Counsel Conferment and Privileges) Rules, announced the list on Thursday after evaluating 105 applications submitted since the call was made in September.
The names were drawn from diverse legal specializations and generations of practice, reflecting both longstanding members of the bar and newer luminaries. There are currently 66 senior counsels in Kenya, with the last cohort admitted in August 2022.
The title of Senior Counsel is reserved for advocates who have exhibited exceptional professional competence, integrity, and leadership over a sustained period. Benefits include recognition as a member of the bar’s inner cadre, the privilege to sit at the front bench in court, and precedence in high-profile public interest and constitutional litigation.
Speaker Wetang’ula, whose practice number is listed as P.105/1285/83, features alongside a host of other notable legal figures such as Director of National Intelligence Service Noordin Mohamed Haji, former Law Society of Kenya Presidents Nelson Havi and Eric Theuri, prominent lawyer Adil Khawaja, veteran counsel Koki Muli, and Katwa Kigen. Also on the list are Prof. Patrick Lumumba, Dr. Kivutha Kibwana, Ahmed Issack Hassan, Dr Muthomi Thionkolu, and Immaculate Kassait.
The Committee on Senior Counsel is chaired by Philip Murgor, SC and includes representatives from the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court, the Attorney-General’s office, and the Law Society of Kenya.
“On 2nd September, 2025, the Committee on Senior Counsel – SC Conferment made a call for applications for the conferment of the rank of Senior Counsel pursuant to Rule 5 of the Advocates (Senior Counsel Conferment and Privileges) Rule, 2011 Rev.2017. The Committee received a total of 105 applications,” said Murgor.
He said the recommendations were made pursuant to Rules 7 and 10 of the Senior Counsel conferment rules and have been communicated to applicants in line with Rule 11(2). Yesterday, the Committee considered the applications pursuant to Rules 7 and 10 of the Advocates (Senior Counsel Conferment and Privileges) Rules, 2011 Rev.2017.
The list now awaits formal approval before the advocates are officially conferred with the rank in a ceremony expected to be held in the coming months.