Wangui calls for Constitutional fidelity as Al transforms legal practice

Phyllis Wangui, a lawyer from Nairobi and aspiring Kiambu Woman Representative in the 2027 General Elections on DCP has called for greater constitutional fidelity, institutional accountability and responsible integration of emerging technologies into Kenya’s legal profession.

Speaking during the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Annual Conference, Wangui described the annual gathering as an indispensable forum for legal practitioners to interrogate emerging issues, exchange professional insights and reflect on the rapidly transforming landscape of legal practice.

She singled out Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technological innovation as among the most consequential developments confronting the profession, noting that lawyers must proactively examine both the opportunities and ethical dilemmas accompanying AI-assisted legal practice.

According to Wangui, the conference has provided an intellectually stimulating platform to examine the utilisation of AI in preparing court documents and submissions, particularly concerning accuracy, professional responsibility, confidentiality, accountability and the possible establishment of appropriate regulatory and governance frameworks.

She said the discussions have also ventured into profound questions about the future of adjudication, including whether AI could eventually assume a role in judicial decision-making and what such a development would mean for constitutionalism, judicial independence and the administration of justice.

The conference, she noted, has brought together practitioners from diverse spheres of the profession, including in-house counsel, public-interest lawyers, constitutional lawyers and senior advocates. She described the event as an important networking and knowledge-sharing platform, offering practitioners an opportunity to reconnect, exchange perspectives and draw insights from experienced legal minds, including former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka.

Beyond the professional discussions, Wangui used the occasion to articulate her political convictions, maintaining that Kenya requires fundamental institutional and constitutional reforms. As a member of the DCP and an aspiring Kiambu Woman Representative in the 2027 General Elections, she said the commencement of the electoral countdown has intensified the urgency for political mobilisation and alternative leadership.

Wangui criticised the current administration over what she characterised as a deterioration in constitutionalism, human rights protection and institutional accountability. She expressed concern over alleged extrajudicial killings, disregard for court orders and perceived interference with the independence of the Judiciary.

She maintained that Kenya’s constitutional architecture must remain inviolable, insisting that economic development cannot legitimately be pursued at the expense of human dignity, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.

“There is no development without fundamental respect for human rights,” she maintained, arguing that the next administration must restore constitutional fidelity, institutional accountability and respect for citizens’ dignity as a prerequisite for sustainable economic transformation.

Wangui further expressed confidence that an alternative government under the DCP would prioritise constitutionalism, human rights and accountability while simultaneously pursuing the economic opportunities and development that Kenyans continue to demand.