Kenya is starting a legislative procedure to allow lawyers from Burundi and Rwanda to practice there.
Advocates from Rwanda and Burundi were barred from practicing in Kenya in 2021, a decision that drew criticism from the East African area.
The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, a piece of legislation that would make nationals of Burundi and Rwanda eligible for admission as advocates in Kenya on par with those of Tanzania and Uganda, is currently being pushed for passage by the Kenyan parliament.
The bill’s goal is to amend the Advocates Act to make it possible for citizens of Burundi and Rwanda to be admitted as advocates to the high court of Kenya, provided they possess the necessary professional and academic credentials.
The law claims that because Tanzanians and Ugandans are both members of the East African Community, they should be treated equally.
The Kenyan Parliament is attempting to modify the law to allow attorneys from the two nations to practice in Kenya for the third time.
Kenya was harshly criticized by the East African Law Society (EALS) for barring lawyers from Burundi and Rwanda. The legal documents of the EALS, among other things, commit the member states to the reciprocal recognition of academic and professional credentials (including legal credentials) and remove barriers on the movement of labor services.