The Judiciary of Kenya on Tuesday held solemn “Closing of File” proceedings to honour the life and legacy of the late Senior Counsel Pheroze Nowrojee, a towering figure in the legal fraternity whose contributions to justice, constitutionalism, and human rights continue to shape the nation.
In a moving address at the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Martha Koome described Nowrojee as “a brilliant legal mind, a fearless defender of the rule of law, and a man whose entire life was a testament to courage, integrity, and unwavering dedication to justice.”
She led the Judiciary, legal fraternity, and the nation in mourning the loss of a man widely considered one of Kenya’s foremost constitutional minds.
Nowrojee, who passed away in July 2025, was called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn in 1965 and admitted to practice in Kenya in 1967. His career spanned over five decades, during which he practiced not only in Kenya, but also in Tanzania, Zanzibar, Uganda, and Seychelles.
Known for his intellectual clarity, wit, and dignity in the courtroom, he was a consummate advocate and a revered figure in East African legal circles.
The Chief Justice noted that his principled advocacy, especially during the dark years of authoritarian rule in the 1980s and 1990s, contributed immensely to Kenya’s Second Liberation.
“He challenged state impunity, censorship, and detentions without trial—often at great personal risk,” she said.
Even in Kenya’s post-2010 constitutional era, Nowrojee remained an active voice, using the law as a moral and constitutional calling. He mentored generations of lawyers, taught in universities across East Africa, and wrote prolifically on matters of law, justice, and governance.
“His voice, his pen, and his presence helped shape the constitutional culture of modern Kenya,” Justice Koome said. “The freedoms we enjoy today—freedom of expression, multiparty democracy, and electoral accountability—bear his fingerprints.”
Beyond litigation, he was a teacher, mentor, author, and advisor whose influence stretched across the continent.
His contribution to Kenya’s legal history earned him a place on the Law Society of Kenya’s Roll of Honour.
As Kenya bids farewell to a legal titan, the Chief Justice concluded: “His legacy lives not just in law reports, but in the lives he touched, the rights he defended, and the society he helped shape. May he rest in eternal peace.”
