The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has demanded an urgent, high-level investigation into the death of Kenya Forest Service (KFS) senior legal manager Esther Wairimu Keige, warning that the killings of two advocates within a week signal an alarming assault on Kenya’s justice system.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, LSK President Charles Kanjama said the legal fraternity had received confirmation of Keige’s death with profound sorrow after weeks of hoping she would be found alive.

“The Law Society of Kenya has received confirmation of the death of our colleague, Advocate Esther Wairimu Keige, after weeks of anxious searching and fervent hope that she would be found alive,” Kanjama stated.

Kanjama extended condolences to Keige’s family, colleagues at the Kenya Forest Service and members of the legal profession.

The LSK president linked Keige’s death to the recent killing of advocate Edward Muthee Kariuki, who was fatally shot in Athi River just days earlier, describing the two incidents as more than isolated crimes.

“This unspeakable atrocity comes an agonisingly brief forty-eight hours after the legal fraternity was thrown into deep mourning following the brutal assassination of Advocate Edward Muthee Kariuki in Athi River,” Kanjama said.

He added:

“The targeted, calculated extermination of two distinguished ministers of justice within a single week is not a statistical coincidence; it is a declaration of war against the rule of law, an explicit attempt to terrorise the Bar and a terrifying indicator that Kenya is rapidly descending into an era of unchecked criminality and institutional collapse.”

The remarks mark one of the strongest responses yet from the legal fraternity following the deaths of the two advocates.

LSK’s three demands

The Law Society outlined three immediate demands it wants the government to implement as investigations into Keige’s death begin.

1. High-level joint investigation

LSK called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the National Police Service Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) to establish an independent multi-agency homicide team to investigate both killings.

The society said investigators should not only pursue the individuals who carried out the crimes but also identify those who may have planned, financed or benefited from them.

“We demand that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) immediately establish an independent, multi-agency homicide team to aggressively unmask not just the physical perpetrators of these two murders, but the intellectual authors, financiers and state or corporate beneficiaries behind them,” Kanjama wrote on X.

2. Audit of KFS land files

The lawyers’ body also called for a forensic audit of land-related legal files handled by the Kenya Forest Service.

According to LSK, investigators should scrutinise all active land acquisition, leasing and alienation files processed by KFS’ legal department over the past year to determine whether any contentious transactions could be linked to Keige’s death.

“We demand a comprehensive, transparent forensic audit of all active land acquisition, leasing, and alienation files handled by the Kenya Forest Service legal department over the last twelve months to identify the specific corporate interests that precipitated Advocate Wairimu’s death,” LSK stated.

3. Security for public sector advocates

LSK further urged the government to strengthen security for lawyers serving in public institutions.

The society argued that advocates working in regulatory agencies often face pressure and threats while handling matters involving public assets, corruption and land disputes.

“The Executive must immediately provide institutional security and protective coverage for all advocates serving in public regulatory bodies who face illicit pressure and structural threats while defending public assets from corruption.”

Keige disappeared in June

Keige, who served as Manager of Legal Services at the Kenya Forest Service, was reported missing after she was last seen in Juja on June 10, 2026.

Following her disappearance, KFS issued a nationwide appeal for information on June 15, asking members of the public to help trace the senior advocate.

The Law Society of Kenya also joined the search, with Kanjama urging lawyers and the public to share any information that could assist investigators in locating her.

On Tuesday, July 7, 2026, the Keige family confirmed that she had been found dead on the night of July 6, nearly a month after she went missing.

In a statement shared by the family and later circulated by KFS, relatives thanked Kenyans for supporting the search while mourning the loss of the 54-year-old advocate.

Authorities are yet to disclose where her body was found or the circumstances surrounding her death.

Growing concern

Keige’s death comes amid growing concern over attacks targeting legal professionals and the increasing number of unresolved missing persons cases in Kenya.

Her role as head of legal services at the Kenya Forest Service placed her at the centre of legal matters involving forest conservation, public land, environmental protection and government litigation.

Without directly alluding to who may have been responsible, LSK suggested investigators should consider whether her official duties could have exposed her to powerful interests.

“When the protectors of public interest become the prime targets of fatal state-linked or cartel-driven syndicates, the democratic fabric of our republic is effectively torn apart,” LSK stated.