Renowned lawyer Danstan Omari was thrown out of a court hearing on Wednesday by Justice Bahati Mwamuye during a case involving the disappearance of youths. Omari, who is representing Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, found himself at the center of a tense moment when he attempted to interject while another lawyer was speaking.
The case, which involves several security chiefs and agencies in the criminal justice system, has garnered significant attention due to the ongoing issue of enforced disappearances. During the proceedings, lawyer Evans Ogada, representing the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), made an oral application to have the hearing paused until Police IG Douglas Kanja could personally appear in court. This request was based on an earlier court order requiring Kanja’s presence.
Omari, however, interrupted the proceedings, prompting the judge to remind him not to speak until his colleague, Ogada, had finished making his submission. Despite the warning, Omari continued to rise to speak in reply. This led Justice Mwamuye to take the drastic step of ordering Omari to leave the courtroom, saying, “Mr Omari, you can take your leave.”
Omari, visibly taken aback, stood in the courtroom for a moment before asking to remain and follow the proceedings. The judge, however, remained firm, stating that the lawyer’s absence would not prejudice the case as another counsel from his team, Samson Nyaberi, was present to represent Murkomen.
Omari exited the courtroom, and Justice Mwamuye made it clear that Omari would remain suspended for the day’s proceedings. Meanwhile, lawyer Paul Nyamodi, representing IG Kanja, clarified that both the IG and the DCI were prepared to attend but had been unable to due to an urgent security situation that required their immediate attention.
This unexpected moment of courtroom drama has further fueled public interest in the case surrounding the disappearances and the role of security agencies in Kenya.
