LSK raises integrity queries on Godfrey Pwoka Wanyonyi

The man picked to head the Jubilee Party elections board has not been allowed to practice law since last year because of professional misconduct.

Godfrey Pwoka Wanyonyi’s profile on the Law Society of Kenya website shows that he has been inactive since last year, meaning he was not certified to practise over that period.

SUSPENDED

The website also shows that Mr Wanyonyi was suspended in 2013 and 2014.

In legal practice, a suspension means an advocate is temporarily barred from practising.

For an advocate to be suspended for a period of time, he or she must have committed a serious professional offence.

This was not the first time Mr Wanyonyi had been suspended for professional misconduct.

3 CASES

On May 20, 2003, he was barred from practising for six months after being found guilty of issuing two bouncing cheques, withholding Sh240,000 plus interest due to a client and failing to reply to correspondence.

Sources within LSK told the Nation that Mr Wanyonyi still has three other pending cases filed by different complainants.

LSK records also show that Mr Wanyonyi has been non-compliant since 2012, meaning he has failed to attend the requisite number of seminars required for an advocate to be issued with a practising certificate.

On Monday, the Jubilee Party unveiled Mr Wanyonyi and his team while exuding confidence that it would conduct transparent, free and fair.

THE TEAM

“If the nominations are free and fair, then there should be no fallouts because if you believe in Jubilee, then you are a leader in Jubilee either way, unless you think you should win,” said the party’s chairman Raphael Tuju while unveiling the team.

Other members are Veska Kangogo, former Kisii mayor Samuel Nyangeso, Dr Samuel Kobia, Mr M.G Waweru, Mr Aden Noor Ali, Ms Leah Ntimama, and Ms Carolyne Kameme Daudi.

Mr Wanyonyi asked members to watch out for media advertisements starting Wednesday announcing when county election boards across the country would be chosen.

He said the party was likely to hold the primaries on April 13-26 but warned that secretariat could shift the dates.

IEBC

“This board has already started working since last week. We know the stakes are high but we are a formidable team who will ensure the process is credible,” he said, warning that they would lock out candidates caught canvassing for positions or those with back door nomination certificates.

“The nomination process will be owned by the people so that everyone can see that fairness has been done,” he said.

He said they would work closely with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission in the nominations.

The commission, however, said last week that it would not conduct primaries for any party but would lend technical support if called upon to by any party