Nairobi-based lawyer Erick Theuri was yesterday billed to take over the rein at the Law Society of Kenya (LSK). The election, characterised by low voter turnout, is supposed to pick Nelson Havi’s successor.

Conceding defeat, Omwanza Ombati congratulated Theuri saying: Congratulations Eric Theuri. We all gave a good account of ourselves. The Law Society is larger than all of us. Thank you all for the support. God bless.”

The election was pitting former officials and branch heads. Those in the race were outgoing Mombasa Law Society chairperson Mathew Nyabena, Havi’s deputy Carolyne Kamende Daudi, Omwanza,Theuri and Kipkoech Ng’etich.

All the designated 25 polling stations including Mombasa, Malindi, Machakos, Kisumu, and Milimani, and Supreme Courts in Nairobi, Nakuru, and Kericho, registered low turnouts.

Other voting centres included Bungoma, Kakamega, Kitale, Kisii, Eldoret, Meru, Nyeri, Busia, Embu, Migori, Kitui, Mumias, Nyahururu, Murang’a, Thika, Homa Bay and Kerugoya.

Low turn-out

A spot check by the ‘People Daily’ established that the exercise undertaken by Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and which kicked off at 8am; that at Mombasa Law Courts only 88 members of the 695 registered voters had cast their vote by 3pm. Nyabena, who cast his vote at 8.30am, expressed confidence that he would emerge victorious in the presidential elections.

 “I am confident I will capture the seat; it is high time the seat came to Mombasa. I have already voted and I believe the exercise will be free and fair,” he said.

The Mombasa-based lawyer said that if elected to the position, one of his main agendas was to unite the members, rule of law, create a member-centered secretariat and prompt in-house dispute resolution mechanisms.

On its part, IEBC through its presiding officer Alphonse Zui, said the exercise kicked off well for all the nine LSK elective positions.

“Voting is still ongoing and it will end at 5pm. Later on, we will convert the polling stations into counting stations and scan all the copies of the results to the returning officer in Nairobi to facilitate the announcement of the results,” Zui  said.

In Kisumu, the elections went on without major hitches. According to Kenneth Okungu who presided over the elections held at Kisumu law courts, a total of 108 out 242 lawyers in the Kisumu LSK chapter had voted by mid afternoon.

Okungu added that more lawyers were expected to cast their votes before the exercise concluded later in the evening. “We are optimistic that more lawyers will turn up to vote so that by 5pm when the exercise closes, we should have a good number,” he said.

In Nakuru, outgoing LSK upcountry representative Kipkoech Ng’etich exuded confidence in winning the presidential election.

Speaking after casting his vote, Kipkoech expressed optimism that the new LSK leadership would redeem the lost glory of the institution which had been marred with wrangles.

–  Reporting by Sophie Njoka, Viola Kosome and Roy Lumbe