Nairobi, 23rd June 2026 – Patrick Lavince Wandare Ondegoh, a Kenyan advocate of the High Court and Commissioner for Oaths popularly known as ‘PLO’, has publicly denied allegations of sexual exploitation published against him earlier this year, 2026. He says the claims are false, unverified, and damaging to his professional reputation, and he has confirmed he is pursuing defamation suits against those behind the publications.

The allegations surfaced in February 2026 through posts by blogger Timothy Rioba on his blog The Kenyan Daily Post. In a statement, Lavince described the publications as unfounded and said they expose the blogger to potential defamation and cybercrime liability under Kenyan law.

A career built in law and policy

Lavince, in the early stages of his career, has positioned himself as a policy and legislative affairs professional. Colleagues describe him as erudite and focused, with a reputation for mentoring law students and young advocates. He has worked in legislative drafting and public policy, building what he calls a “hard-earned reputation” over several years.

‘’Such allegations have a net effect of affecting someone’s career; PLO’s is no different. We live in a country of law and procedures; why the alleged victims failed to file any criminal complaints against me is questionable, if at all they had evidence, which, truly, they don’t, and they must be held accountable.’’ He noted

Lavince expressed concern about what he termed the growing tendency for serious accusations to be tried in the “court of public opinion” before evidence is tested through formal legal or disciplinary processes.

“It is disheartening that men who have worked their way up can face harsh societal condemnation without verification of facts,” he said.

ADT complaint dismissed

Lavince pointed out that the only complaint filed against him at the Advocates Disciplinary Tribunal (ADT) was dismissed. He stated that the Tribunal found the issue arose from social interactions and did not meet the threshold required to constitute sexual harassment under the Advocates Act and related professional standards.

The ADT is the statutory body mandated to handle complaints of professional misconduct against advocates in Kenya.

Defamation suits filed

Following the blog posts and social media commentary, Lavince has filed defamation suits against those involved in publishing and amplifying the claims. He accused the publishers of acting with malice and said legal action is necessary to hold accountable persons who, in his view, set out to damage his career and reputation.

“Kenya is a country of law and procedures,” he stated. “Serious allegations of this nature should be tested through courts and disciplinary bodies, not only through online platforms. We hope due process will bring to account those who were out to soil a reputation built over years of work.”

He added that his legal team will keep the public updated on the status of the cases as they proceed through the courts.

Under Kenyan law, defamation involves publishing false statements that harm a person’s reputation.