A Nairobi-based lawyer has filed a formal petition seeking the removal of Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen from the Roll of Advocates, accusing them of presiding over state violence during the 2024 and 2025 Gen Z protests.

The motion, filed by advocate Kepha Ojijo and received by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) on Monday, cites gross misconduct and violations of the Advocates’ Code of Conduct.

Ojijo argues that the two leaders, while heading security dockets, oversaw operations that resulted in killings, abductions, injuries, and disappearances of young demonstrators across the country.

“The respondents continue to identify as advocates while overseeing state-sanctioned brutality,” reads the petition in part.

Ojijo accuses Kindiki and Murkomen of failing to take responsibility or express remorse for the violence, instead choosing to praise police actions despite mounting evidence of human rights abuses. He says their continued association with the legal profession misleads the public and undermines the integrity of the bar.

“If the respondents wish to engage in politics, they should do so without wearing the hat of advocates,” Ojijo argues.

He is calling on the LSK to convene a Special General Meeting to vote on their removal or, alternatively, refer the matter to the Advocates Disciplinary Tribunal for further action.

The petition comes at a time of heightened public anger over the government’s handling of youth-led protests, with civil society groups accusing authorities of deploying excessive force and targeting peaceful demonstrators.

If acted upon, the petition could trigger rare disciplinary action against two of the country’s most senior leaders, both of whom hold legal qualifications.