LSK Poll: Peter Wanyama Accepts Loss, Flags Low Voter Turnout
The LSK Poll results show that Peter Wanyama accepted his defeat while he raised concerns about the low number of people who participated in the voting process.
Lawyer Peter Wanyama. Photo/Courtesy
By Ruth Sang
Peter Wanyama who worked as a lawyer lost his presidential election bid for the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) while he expressed concern about the serious voter apathy problem which he observed among legal professionals.
Wanyama who declared his presidential ambitions in September 2025 said that true leadership requires people to show grace during both victory and defeat. “A true mark of leadership is to concede when one is beaten,” he said, as he congratulated Senior Counsel Charles Kanjama on his victory. The candidate praised his opponent Mwaura Wakabata for conducting a dedicated and enthusiastic electoral campaign.
Wanyama acknowledged the results but he wanted to discuss the voter turnout issue which affected the election. The Society has over 26000 members according to him while 18000 members currently active hold valid practising certificates. The voter turnout showed that only 8600 out of 10000 registered advocates participated in the election.
He had anticipated that almost 13000 members would attend but he now admitted his mistake.
The results did not come about because of a so-called “silent majority” according to him because most people chose not to vote instead of making their choice. The Society needs to reflect on this institutional issue which is highlighted by the turnout numbers according to his assessment.
“Why are so many advocates disengaged from elections whose outcomes significantly affect their professional lives?” he asked while demanding that people examine why they do not participate in LSK activities.
Wanyama dedicated his entire campaign to establishing a reform-based agenda which would help him construct a “strategically strong bar” organization. His vision aimed to protect and extend the professional realm of attorneys through the ongoing transformations brought about by technological advancements and artificial intelligence and regulatory changes and market competition.
He had urged advocates to prepare for the coming decade, which will bring more than 40000 new lawyers into the profession. He recommended that advocates explore new practice areas which include technology and AI law and environmental and climate law and energy and blockchain and data governance and intellectual property and public finance and capital markets and arbitration and other specialized fields.
Wanyama asked the Society to implement electoral reforms which will increase voter turnout after he accepted his election defeat. The proposal included using digital transformation methods through blockchain systems and online registers to implement electronic voting which will make voting more accessible and increase voter participation.
He thanked the thousands of advocates who supported his platform because their reform backing creates a powerful base for upcoming dialogue. “The members have spoken. We must defer to the will of the majority,” he said while demanding that the Society face the direct truth which the voter turnout statistics demonstrate.
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