Nairobi — One of Kenya’s most outspoken legal minds is again at the centre of a storm this time, squaring off with the country’s top judicial officers over corruption allegations he made online.
Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi is facing calls for prosecution after accusing a sitting Supreme Court judge of accepting a multimillion-shilling bribe to influence the outcome of a case before the Court of Appeal. The Judiciary, in a formal complaint, wants him investigated over what it calls “persistent and unsubstantiated” claims.
The request was made in a letter dated 20 May 2025 from the Office of the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Renson Ingonga. It follows social media posts by Ahmednasir on 15 May in which he alleged a judge received Sh4 million from a lawyer and client, only to later return part of it after the judgment didn’t go their way.
He later claimed the judge refunded Sh3 million with a promise to settle the balance within a week.
The Judiciary’s letter, which reportedly includes screenshots of the posts, warns that such claims shared publicly without formal complaints or evidence could damage the credibility of the courts and potentially violate Kenyan law.
But Ahmednasir isn’t backing down.
“Instead of investigating the judge who took a bribe, she [the Chief Registrar] has the audacity to ask the DPP to arrest me,” he wrote on social media, referencing Chief Registrar Winfridah Mokaya.
He offered no evidence to support the bribery claim and did not name the judge in question. Still, the senior lawyer accused Mokaya of protecting corrupt judges and described the Judiciary’s leadership as “incompetent.”
“It isn’t the cries of Kenyans for a corruption-free judiciary that erodes public confidence,” he wrote. “It is the incompetent and corrupt leadership of the judiciary that does.”
The Supreme Court had earlier barred Ahmednasir from appearing before it, following a history of public attacks against its judges. This latest dispute only adds to a growing rift between parts of the legal fraternity and the bench.
In an unusually personal attack, he questioned the authenticity of the letter, asking why Mokaya hadn’t signed it herself.
“Who signed it on her behalf? Someone from the Chief Justice’s office? Are they hiding something?” he wrote, while referring to staff in the Registrar’s office as “fraudsters”.
The judiciary, for its part, says it cannot ignore repeated accusations made in public without any formal submission to relevant investigative agencies. The courts argue that such statements undermine public trust and may breach criminal defamation laws.
So far, the Director of Public Prosecutions has not responded publicly to the Judiciary’s request. Whether the matter advances beyond the court of public opinion remains to be seen.
The spat comes as Kenya’s justice system continues to face tough questions from civil society, lawyers, and citizens over integrity and accountability. Previous calls for sweeping reform have largely been met with internal resistance and mixed political will.
Ahmednasir, never one to shy away from controversy, has signalled he won’t be silenced.
“Let them come for me,” he said. “I’ll keep speaking the truth.”
