The legal battle involving Ndiangui Kinyagia has taken a dramatic twist after the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) withdrew its support, citing evidence that Kinyagia fabricated his alleged abduction.
LSK had initially backed a habeas corpus petition claiming Kinyagia was abducted by state agents under suspicious circumstances.
However, investigations have since revealed he intentionally went into hiding—undermining the credibility of the petition and triggering a swift legal about-face.
In fresh court filings, LSK’s legal team, VR Advocates & Partners LLP, formally applied to withdraw from the case, citing inconsistencies in Kinyagia’s narrative and a breakdown in trust between client and counsel.
In a sworn affidavit, Advocate Moses Mutungi Kioko described Kinyagia’s statements—and those of his family—as “very contradictory from facts in this matter,” concluding that continued representation had become untenable.
“These contradictions have made it extremely difficult to continue representing him,” the affidavit reads, noting that repeated attempts to resolve the discrepancies had failed.
The law firm is now asking the court to formally release it from the petition.
What began as a case that sparked fresh alarm over alleged enforced disappearances has now turned into a cautionary tale about credibility.
Legal analysts say the LSK’s public disavowal of a co-petitioner is rare—and sends a strong message about the primacy of truth and trust in the legal profession.
Written by Were Kelly
