The Supreme Court of Kenya has banned a prominent lawyer from appearing before it, accusing him of conducting a campaign to “scandalize, ridicule and outrightly denigrate” the judiciary.
In a letter dated January 18, 2024, the registrar of the court, Hon. L. M. Wachira, said the full seven-judge bench had instructed him to inform Ahmednasir Abdullahi, also known as Grand Mullah, that he would have no audience before the court, either by himself or through any representative.
The letter said Abdullahi had “relentlessly and unabashedly” accused the court and its judges of corruption, incompetence and bribery in the broadcast, print and social media, with “reckless abandon” and “paying scant regard to the reputations of those who tirelessly serve on the court in accordance with their Oath of Office.”
The letter also said the court had exercised restraint by not deploying the punitive tools available to it against Abdullahi, despite his “sustained and unsubstantiated attacks” that had damaged the reputation of the court and its judges.
The letter cited a previous ruling in 2018, in which Abdullahi was cautioned that his conduct would not go unpunished in the future. However, the letter said the caution had no sobering effect on Abdullahi, who had persisted in his “unsubstantiated and virulent attacks” against the court’s leadership and membership.
The letter said the court’s decision to ban Abdullahi was “bound to affect those who may have instructed him to represent them before the court,” but added that it was “untenable” that he would seek justice in the very institution and before the very judges whose integrity he never tired in assaulting.
The letter also attached a compilation of some of the statements that Abdullahi had personally made against the court, its leadership and membership over the years, saying it would serve as an authoritative reference point for those who may seek to validate the proportionality or otherwise of the court’s action against him.
Taking to Twitter, Abdullahi asked, “Isn’t it a badge of honour for the most corrupt court in Kenya to refuse me and my law firm an audience?’
Abdullahi is a senior counsel and a former chairman of the Law Society of Kenya. He is known for his outspoken and controversial views on various legal and political issues. He has represented several high-profile clients, including former President Mwai Kibaki, Deputy President William Ruto and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
