10th Floor, Bruce House, Standard Street- law@kaliiadvocates.co.ke
When five High Court Judges declared the Building Bridges Initiative to amend the constitution illegal, they stole the limelight with their landmark decision that reverberated across the commonwealth. One thing that escaped public attention is the calibre of young upcoming lawyers who argued the case either as petitioners who won the case or the BBI supporters who lost the battle. They are not the big-name lawyers like Senior Counsel James Orengo, Paul Muite, John Khaminwa, Ahmednassir Abdullahi, Pheroze Nowrojee, Prof Tom Ojienda, and Prof Githu Muigai who have controlled the streets of the legal profession for decades.
They are also not the renowned legal experts you will see on your television cracking and unpackaging legal quagmires every week. While their peers below the age of 35 are still struggling to create a niche in the tough legal profession dominated by senior advocates or still working for established law firms, the new kids on the block have broken away to establish their own firms and are giving the seniors a run for their money.
The young Kalii, aged 30, is not letting her inexperience stand on her way. Just four years after being admitted to the bar and working under Ombeta, she has earned a Masters Degree in Law, opened her own law firm and is taking briefs in big criminal cases. “I like helping people and despite the challenges we have as young lawyers where we are judged for our inexperience, we must fight to find our space and compete with the senior lawyers,” said Kalii.
