Towering rights advocate, SC Judy Thongori bows out

The legal fraternity has been thrown into mourning following the death of family and human rights lawyer Judy Thongori after a short illness.

Confirming the demise, Chairman of the Senior Counsel Bar Fred Ojiambo said Thongori was recently taken ill before being flown to India for emergency treatment.

However, Thongori succumbed to her illness on Tuesday evening after developing complications while under treatment.

Ojiambo praised the late Thongori for her willingness and selflessness to the Senior Counsel Bar and to the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) as a mentor to younger advocates.

“She will be greatly missed. She was also a favourite speaker at the Annual Judges’ Colloquial,” he said.

Renowned lawyer

After the announcement of her passing on, Kenyans from all walks of life continued to pay tribute to the renowned lawyer who created a name for herself by championing gender equality, women’s rights, social justice and respect for the institution of the family.

President William Ruto who led the nation in mourning the fallen lawyer said her dedication to family law and human rights touched many lives and left a lasting impact on our society.

“Judy’s kindness, wisdom and service will be deeply missed and remembered,” Ruto who is in Dubai for a two-day Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) Summit wrote on his X account.

LSK President, Faith Odhiambo said that Thongori has been a monument of legal prowess and exemplified all the qualities of a professional North Star.

“Her noteworthy contributions to family law and human rights are timeless and continue to propagate a learning curve for many in the profession. The legacy she leaves behind will remain an indelible mark of her impact that lives on among us,” Odhiambo tweeted.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga while eulogising Thongori, said she has been a permanent presence in the country’s ever-evolving struggle for justice, freedom and efforts to put family at the centre of our existence as a nation.

Impactful change

Raila noted that she combined the skills of a lawyer, writer and activist to pursue impactful change and curve her place in Kenya and beyond as she courageously sought justice for those who were victimized while fighting for a better country.

“Judy is part of a generation that sought to provide light to the cause of justice when the night was pitch dark, who kept pressing no matter the odds on the path and who became living testimony that resilience and courage bring rewards,” Raila said.

In her statement, Chief Justice Martha Koome described Thongori as a trailblazer in the legal profession and a passionate advocate for justice, on matters affecting families, women and children.

“We worked closely during our time at FIDA-Kenya, where I served as Chairperson, and she led the Legal Department with unmatched dedication and brilliance in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Her leadership was instrumental in positioning FIDA-Kenya as a formidable force in using the law to protect the rights, interests, and dignity of vulnerable women, children and the family well-being,” Koome said.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said that Kenya has lost a brilliant legal mind whose contributions especially in family law and women’s rights are pre-eminent.

Her impact, Murkomen stated will live on in the innumerable people, especially women, that her star inspired her to take up a career in law.

In his tribute, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula noted that Thongori distinguished herself as a trailblazer in the practice of Family Law.

Advancing jurisprudence

The Speaker added that she dedicated her career to not only advancing the jurisprudence in her field of specialization but also to nurture upcoming legal practitioners.

“Her mentorship of young advocates, particularly in navigating the complexities of Family Law, is a legacy that will resonate for years to come. Her relentless advocacy for women’s rights, her instrumental role in promoting access to justice, and her efforts to enhance women’s participation in governance were hallmarks of her illustrious career,” Wetangula said.

Further, the Speaker said her legal action challenging the government’s failure to implement the two-thirds gender rule stands as a landmark moment in the pursuit of gender equity in Kenyan society.

Thongori was born in Kangema, Murang’a and went Kanyenya-ini Primary School before proceeding to Kahuhia Girls High School for both her O and A levels. The first born in a family of three then joined the University of Nairobi to pursue a law course.

She was admitted to the Bar in 1988 and her legal profession spanned for over 35 years. She was inducted in the Roll of Honour of the LSK in 2023 before being conferred with the rank of Senior Counsel in July 2020.

In her sunset years, Thongori will be remembered for suing the government for failing to implement the two-third gender rule by appointing 30 per cent of women to leadership positions.
However, in 2023 she was appointed as a member of the Presidential Task Force that was mandated to review Kenya’s religious sector after the discovery of bodies in Shakahola Forest for people believed to have been under religious pilgrimage.