NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 6 – The legal fraternity led by Chief Justice Martha Koome commemorated the life and legacy of three departed Senior Counsel during special closing of files proceedings held at Milimani Law Courts.
The late Senior Counsel Simani Sangale, Kenneth Alison Fraser and Judy Thongori were honoured for the contributions they made to the legal profession during their lifetime as distinguished law practitioners.
Chief Justice Martha Koome who presided over the bench comprising of Court of Appeal Judge Grace Ngenye, ELC Presiding Judge Oscar Angote, ELRC Principal Judge Byram Ongaya and High Court Judge Anthony Mrima, said the closing of files proceedings was a solemn and symbolic ceremony that reminds everyone that while every life must come to its natural close, the legacy of a life well lived endures by way of shaping those left behind and inspiring generations to come.
“Today we pause to honour and give thanks for the lives and service of three remarkable advocates: SC Kenneth Alison Fraser, SC Simani Sangale, and SC Judy Thongori.”
She explained that Senior Counsel represent the highest ideals of the legal profession, excellence in the law, courage in advocacy, humility in service, and generosity in mentorship. “In closing their files today, we do not erase their work. Rather, we affirm that their labour is fulfilled, their service accomplished, and their influence lasting,” CJ Koome said.
In her tribute, the CJ noted that the late Senior Counsel Simani Sangale who was the second Chairperson of the Law Society of Kenya between 1975 and 1976, helped set the course for an institution that remains central to the life of the legal profession. She explained that he led at a time when the profession was still finding its identity, and left it stronger, more principled, and more resilient.
“SC Simani was more than a leader of the Bar. He was also a man of wide-ranging curiosity, with a deep interest in ethnography. He believed that to serve people well, one must understand their traditions, their cultures, and their ways of life. In this, he gave us an example of a lawyer who saw law not in isolation, but as deeply connected with society. His life reminds us that justice must be rooted in both principle and in humanity,” CJ Koome said.
On the late Senior Counsel Kenneth Alison Fraser, the CJ noted that he was a lead counsel in landmark cases, that helped shape the contours of Kenyan law and practice. She explained that his legacy reached far beyond case law as he lived up to the standards he set and inspired and mentored many.
In her acknowledgement to SC Judy Thongori, the CJ celebrated her as a trailblazer whose work forever transformed family law in Kenya. She noted that the SC Thongori was instrumental in shaping the law that gave protection to women, children, and vulnerable groups. “But beyond the laws that she helped craft, Judy carried a profound conviction that the family is the cornerstone of society, and when families fracture, the entire society feels the strain.” she said.
The CJ further observed that SC Thongori championed mediation and restorative approaches of family law which aimed not only to resolve disputes but also to preserve relationships and nurture harmony. “She brought to the profession both firmness of principle and tenderness of spirit; a combination that left a deep and lasting mark in the legal profession and beyond,” she said.
Others who spoke at the commemoration described the departed Senior Counsel as people who led different paths but left indelible mark in the legal profession which defined justice in Kenya and stood as pillars in the profession by upholding the rule of law even under pressure.
