Prominent advocate Peter Wanyama has announced plans to initiate sweeping anti-money laundering (AML) reforms within the legal profession should he be elected President of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) in 2026.
Wanyama says his proposed reforms target Section 4A of the LSK Act, introduced in 2023, which granted LSK expanded powers to inspect law firms, investigate advocates and impose penalties, including fines.
Under the current framework, advocates who suspect their clients of engaging in money laundering are required to file confidential reports with LSK, which forwards the information to government agencies through the Financial Reporting Centre (FRC). Law firms are also required to designate AML compliance officers, a function often carried out by managing partners in small and medium-sized firms.
He traced the roots of the legal framework to 2022, when amendments to the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act (POCAMLA) proposed direct reporting by lawyers to the government, with criminal sanctions for non-compliance.
Those amendments were challenged in court by Mwaura Wakabata through advocate Omwanza Ombata, with LSK later joining the proceedings.
Wanyama, who represented LSK in the matter, prepared a detailed affidavit raising constitutional and policy issues. The High Court subsequently issued conservatory orders, leading to negotiations that reshaped the reporting structure — placing LSK as an intermediary regulatory body rather than direct reporting to the government.
If elected, Wanyama says his reform agenda will include:
Amending Section 4A to narrow reporting obligations
Strengthening legal protections for advocates
Requiring High Court approval before investigations of lawyers
Building a strong internal AML framework within LSK that protects confidentiality“Money laundering is real, but lawyers should not be converted into state investigators,” Wanyama said.
His position is expected to influence debate among advocates as the LSK election season approaches.