The Advocates Complaints Commission facilitated the recovery of Sh112.1 million on behalf of complainants during the 2025/26 financial year, up from Sh101.8 million recovered during the previous financial year, Commission Chairman Moses Cheboi has revealed.
The increase of Sh10.3 million in recovered funds highlights the Commission’s role in helping aggrieved clients to reclaim their assets and achieve financial redress.
Cheboi said continued public sensitisation was expected to empower more people to understand their rights, report cases promptly and seek assistance where advocates failed to act in their clients’ best interests.
He urged residents to carefully consider an advocate’s reputation, experience, area of practice, professional standing, communication and fees before engaging their services.
In this regard, the Advocates Complaints Commission (ACC) expects the number of complaints against advocates and the amount of money recovered on behalf of aggrieved clients to increase as more members of the public become aware of its mandate and complaint-handling procedures.
The Commission has been conducting public sensitisation programmes to educate residents on their rights when engaging advocates, professional standards in the legal profession and available channels for seeking redress in cases of misconduct.
Speaking during a sensitisation forum in Tharaka Nithi County, Cheboi said increased awareness would encourage more people to report grievances against advocates and seek assistance in recovering money or property they may have lost or been unable to recover through their legal representatives.
He said the Commission was committed to bringing its services closer to the public, particularly residents outside Nairobi, through outreach programmes, Huduma Centres and other accessible reporting channels.
The sensitisation programme, organised in partnership with the Electoral Law and Governance Institute of Africa (EGLIA), is targeting three counties, with Tharaka Nithi being the second stop after Isiolo, before proceeding to Murang’a County.
Cheboi said the Commission had received 1,404 complaints against advocates in the 2025/26 financial year, compared with 1,181 in 2024/25.
He noted that the rising number of complaints could be attributed partly to increased public awareness of the Commission’s role and the avenues available for reporting professional misconduct.
The Chairman also encouraged members of the public to report suspected misconduct through Huduma Centres, local administrators or the Commission’s website, noting that access to information was essential in promoting accountability in the legal profession.
The outreach programme includes legal aid clinics and public education activities intended to reach residents who might otherwise lack information on how to lodge complaints or access the Commission’s services.
Cheboi called on participants to share the knowledge gained during the forum with other community members to widen awareness and encourage those with legitimate grievances to seek assistance.
The Commission said the initiative formed part of its annual public sensitisation activities, aimed at addressing gaps in awareness, strengthening its regional presence and improving access to its services.
By Dickson Mwiti
