“The court boycott is going on in courts across the country, with many lawyers heeding the call,” Charles Kanjama, the president of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), told reporters.

After the nationwide boycott on Wednesday, LSK is pushing for an ongoing boycott of specific judges and magistrates who they say have blocked anti-corruption investigations and disciplinary proceedings, including Chief Justice Martha Koome, starting from Thursday.

“As lawyers we are tired of a corrupt judiciary that refuses to reform itself,” said lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi.

Others warned judicial corruption could be an issue for next year’s election if political disputes arise.

“The judiciary is irredeemably compromised and is unable to act as an arbiter,” said former LSK presidents Eric Theuri.

On Wednesday, the country’s anti-corruption body said it had arrested a magistrate for allegedly soliciting 170,000 Kenyan shillings (around $1,300) to influence a criminal case.

Data from the State of the Judiciary Report 2023-2024 said there were 1,115 complaints against it, including 141 petitions against judges, over allegations ranging from ethical violations to judicial misconduct and abuse of court processes.