Pact to allow lawyers to practise freely in East Africa

Kenyan lawyers will start practising in other East African countries if an agreement between member states is approved.

The government, through the Ministry of East African Community (EAC) and the department of Labour and Social Protection, has announced elaborate plans that will enable lawyers to work freely within the bloc.

Barack Ndegwa, the secretary in charge of integration in the State department responsible for the EAC, said there is a mutual-recognition agreement being drafted to facilitate the move.

“We are working on the mutual-recognition agreement that will see lawyers from the neighbouring EAC partner states such as Uganda and Tanzania come to work in Kenya while ours also work in their countries,” said Mr Ndegwa.

He was speaking in Nakuru during a two-day workshop organised for Law Society of Kenya lawyers.

Mr Ndegwa noted that the establishment of the EAC court in Tanzania will require lawyers from member states to handle matters and represent their clients at the court.

He said lawyers from member states need exposure on the East African Treaty laws that are being drafted to understand how the East African Court of Justice operates.

He said the court has already opened registries in the capitals of member states.

Mr Ndegwa was accompanied by East African Court of Justice Registrar Yufnalis Okubo and David Njoka, the director of political affairs in the State department of the EAC and integration.