Prominent city lawyers Nelson Havi and Ahmednasir Abdullahi on Friday, 21 March, criticised the Dutch King over his meeting with Chief Justice Martha Koome, terming it "ill-advised, poorly timed, and a gross violation of accountability." Through a letter sent to Dutch Ambassador to Kenya, Maarten Brouwer, the two lawyers expressed their dissatisfaction with the meeting, citing the ongoing troubles within the Judiciary under CJ Koome's leadership, including allegations of graft and poor conduct among judges.
According to the two, the visit of King Willem-Alexander and his wife, Queen Máxima, amounted to an endorsement of the perceived graft-ridden institution, adding that it contradicted the values the Dutch government is associated with. "We, the undersigned Chairman/President of the Law Society of Kenya, write to you with a heavy heart, a deep sense of betrayal, and utter disappointment to express our profound dismay and strong opposition to the decision of Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima to pay a courtesy call to Chief Justice Martha Koome during their state visit on 20 March 2025," the letter read.
Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Nelson Havi (left) and Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi (right) Twitter "The visit was a stab in the back of the toiling Kenyans, a betrayal of their historic quest to have a Judiciary that is free of corruption and incompetence, and a royal seal of approval that the Dutch Government stands with Kenya's thieving and corrupt Judiciary," it further added.
During the meeting between the two royals and CJ Koome, the latter highlighted the key areas of discussion, chief among them judicial independence and the need to protect the courts from external influence.
