Ahmednasir’s Law Firm Blocked by Supreme Court in Case

The Supreme Court of Kenya declined to hear a case involving the firm of prominent lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi during a virtual session on Tuesday. Chief Justice Martha Koome, presiding over the matter, reiterated a prior decision barring Ahmednasir’s firm from appearing before the court due to ongoing allegations against him.

In a directive delivered on behalf of the judges, Chief Justice Koome stated, “As decided in January last year, all judges of this court recused themselves from matters involving Ahmednasir’s firm, its employees, or anyone representing them.”

The decision prompted the adjournment of an appeal concerning inheritance rights, which had previously been ruled on by the Court of Appeal. The appellate court had delivered a landmark judgment in November 2023, affirming the right of children to inherit property regardless of their birth circumstances. This followed a case in which a Mombasa businessman’s family sought to disinherit a child born out of wedlock.

Critics, however, questioned whether the Supreme Court should have prioritized public interest over procedural restrictions when adjourning the case.

Ahmednasir, a vocal critic of the Supreme Court alongside former Law Society of Kenya President Nelson Havi, faces scrutiny over his firm’s eligibility to appear in judicial matters. The court has now directed the petitioner to clarify their course of action within 14 days or risk the automatic lapse of a stay order previously issued.

The ruling underscores heightened tensions between the judiciary and prominent legal figures while reigniting public debate on inheritance laws and judicial accountability.