LSK To Protest Outside DCI Headquarters Over Abduction Of Advocate

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has called for protests on Monday, February 12, accusing the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) of allegedly kidnapping an advocate, Beatrice Ng'ethe.

In a statement, LSK President Eric Theuri claimed that the DCI abducted Ng'ethe on Friday morning, February 9 and that despite exhaustive efforts to locate her, her whereabouts remain unknown, leaving the family distraught and in dire need of answers.

Theuri also claimed that the society was taken in circles across several police stations in efforts to locate her.

"We have learnt that the DCI abducted one of our members by the name Beatrice Ngethe on Friday morning and her whereabouts remain unknown.

New advocates take the oath of admission to the role of advocate at the Supreme Court of Kenya on October 1, 2018. /THE EAST AFRICAN

"We have visited several police stations to trace her in vain. The family has been tossed around different police stations," he stated on X.

Theuri termed the alleged abduction as an affront to the legal profession, claiming that Ng'ethe was kidnapped because of giving legal advice to a client.

In response to the alarming situation, LSK instructed an advocate to file an urgent habeas corpus application on behalf of Ng'ethe.

This is an application which will require those holding the Ngethe to present her before a court to determine whether her detention is lawful.

"We also call on our members to turn up in large numbers at the DCI headquarters on Monday to protest this egregious attack on the legal profession. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us," Theuri urged.

Similarly, friends and colleagues of Ng'ethe expressed their concern about her disappearance.

While condemning the incident, LSK Vice President Faith Adhiambo also raised concerns about the safety and security of legal practitioners in Kenya.

“I’m deeply alarmed by reports about the abduction of one of our colleagues Beatrice Ng'ethe by DCI officers for doing her job, giving legal advice to her client.

“This is not the first time police officers use force and abuse their power to harass, intimidate and abduct or arrest advocates for doing their work as per the oath they took.” she posed.

Likewise, Grace Kuria, a lawyer, and Police Relations Convener also shared her appeal on social media saying, “Dear colleagues, we have tried to trace the whereabouts of one of our own Beatrice Ngethe but to no avail.”

“The DCI have been taking us in circles and they have denied us access to Beatrice. They are questioning her and have denied her the right to representation,” she stated.

She further called on Lawyers to come out and defend one of their own from the atrocities of the police urging them to never forget what the police have done to their colleagues in the past.

DCI had yet to respond to the alleged abduction of Ng'ethe by its officers by the time of publishing this article.