Supreme Court Bans Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi

The Supreme Court of Kenya has issued a permanent ban on Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi and his law firm associates.

In a statement to newsrooms on Thursday, January 18, the apex court barred the two entities from making submissions before it.

The ban was signed by Letizia Muthoni Wachira, the Registrar of the Supreme Court and issued by the full bench of the apex court.

"It is the decision of this Court, that henceforth and from the date of this Communication, you shall have no audience before the Court, either by yourself, through an employee of your law firm, or any other person holding brief for you, or acting pursuant to your instructions.

Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi alias "Grand Mullah" during a past interview with Citizen TV. /FILE

"Much as this decision is bound to affect those who may have instructed you to represent them before the Court, it is untenable that you would seek justice in the very institution and before the very Judges, whose reputation and integrity you never tire in assaulting," read the statement in part.

The apex court strongly accused the prominent lawyer of relentlessly and unabashedly conducting a campaign in broadcast, print and social media aimed at scandalizing, ridiculing and outright denigrating the highest court in the country.

"Through social media posts, media interviews and write-ups, you have accused the Court either in its constitutive persona, or individual membership, of acts of corruption, incompetence and outright bribery. This, you have done with reckless abandon, paying scant regard to the reputations of those who tirelessly serve on the Court in accordance with their Oath of Office," added the statement.

The court further disclosed that notwithstanding the damage to the reputation of the Court, and the Judges who have served thereon over the years, both in its corporate and individual posture, and to render justice to those Ahmednasir represents, the Court has exercised restraint by not deploying the punitive tools available to it against him.

"You have persisted in your unsubstantiated and virulent attacks against the leadership and membership of the Court. The insensitivity and abusive arrogance you continue to display against the Court in your frequent media postings, cannot be said to be animated by your quest for Justice," added the statement.

"Ironically, even as you persist in your attacks against the Court, you do not see any contradiction in filing cases in the very institution and appearing before the very Judges you daily accuse of corruption and incompetence."

Chief Justice Martha Koome, her deputy Philomena Mwilu and Justices Mohamed Khadhar Ibrahim, Dr. Smokin Wanjala, Justice Njoki Susanna Ndung'u, Isaac Lenaola and William Ouko argued that they warned the SC that such conduct would in the future, not go unpunished.

The court further attached a compilation of some of the statements made by Ahmednasir against the court, its leadership and its membership over the years while warning that the punishment meted out to the prominent lawyer would serve as an example to other lawyers and judicial officials.

In response, Ahmednasir wrote on his social media pages "Isn’t it a badge of honour for the most corrupt court in Kenya to refuse me and my law firm an audience?"

Also popularly known as the 'Grand Mullah', he was yet to issue any other response which may be argued as 'given through other channels of communication'.