National Legal Aid Service (NLAS) has raised concerns over the failure by lawyers drawn from Mombasa County to pay accident victims.

According to NLAS chairperson Musyoki Kimanthi, the most persistent complaint against lawyers by their clients was that they were pocketing money awarded by courts.

“We have received several complaints from the residents and one of the complaints received often is that residents have lost money awarded by courts to lawyers despite having sustained life-threatening injuries in car accidents,” he stated.

He noted that the vice was most rampant followed by disputed land ownership within the county.

“Apart from being robbed by lawyers, another complaint that has been raised by the residents is that of land disputes,” he added.

He was addressing journalists at Tudor Muroto on the sidelines of a programme tailored to create awareness on access to justice across the county.

“This is day four of the exercise where we are informing the residents on the need and ways into which one can access justice among the marginalized communities in our country. We are carrying out awareness and sensitizing on services offered by the National Legal Aid Services,” Kimanthi added.

Complaints raised against lawyers

He further added that all the complaints raised against the lawyers were being forwarded to the Advocates Complaints Commission.

“We are here today to advise all those affected by such claims to forward them to the commission to have them investigated over professional misconduct,” Kimanthi stated.

Residents decried that they had lost money awarded to them by courts even after spending years seeking justice.

“I have been at the court corridors for years and after the court judgment, the lawyer who was having my case went mute l followed up and learnt that l had been awarded Ksh500,000 which I am yet to receive. l have today filed my complaint following the advice of NLAS,” Leah Kahindi said.