Celebrate law professor Tom Ojienda failed to recapture Law Society of Kenya male representative to Judicial Service Commission following a closely contested polls on Thursday.
Former Independent Police Oversight Authority chairman Macharia Njeru pulled a surprise despite Prof Ojienda's well oiled campaigns that dominated both on air and off air.
Mr Njeru garnered 2,738 votes to trounce Prof Tom Ojienda who was defending his seat. Prof Ojienda got 2,545 votes in the elections carried out in 28 centres across the country.
Mr Irungu Gathi got six votes while Mr Ongoto Mongare managed 123. A total of 10,185 lawyers were eligible to vote across all regions in the country.
In a battle that saw lawyers chosing either of the camps, lawyer Nelson Havi openly ran campaigns for Ojienda while Njeru opted for silent underground campaigns among lawyers.
"Congratulations Macharia Njeru on your election as the LSK male representative to JSC. Congratulations Prof.Tom Ojienda for your 5 years of service. Now let’s focus on the salient task of making our judiciary stronger.We must also find a way of uniting a deeply divided LSK," write Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen.
Mr Havi, who was in charge of Ojienda's 'We still believe' team, hailed Mr Macharia's following the surprise victory. He admitted calling him to concede defeat on behalf of Team Ojienda.
"Congratulations Macharia Njeru on your election as LSK male member representative to JSC. Thank you Prof Tom Ojienda for your service to Advocates and the public during your tenure at JSC," he said.
For the next five years, Mr Njeru will sit in a team that employs and sacks judges as advocates' representative. Prof Ojienda served for a term of five years after defeating Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi.