Beyond the Courtroom: WJF Dinner and Dance Powers Regional Socio-Economic Agenda
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has called on the Western Jurists Forum (WJF) to remain true to its mandate and avoid being drawn into divisive politics, saying the association has a critical role in uniting the Western Kenya community.
Speaking during the forum’s annual dinner in Nairobi on Saturday, Mudavadi said WJF — which brings together judges, magistrates and lawyers from Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma, Busia and Trans Nzoia — offers an important platform for members to engage collectively on socio-economic challenges and opportunities, regardless of political differences.
“Politics should never divide us. We are one community, and shall always remain one,” he said.
During the event, the forum launched a strategic plan titled: “Consolidating the gains, empowering the base and readying for the future: It is time.” The association, established five years ago, has grown to more than 500 members since 2019, with the PCS urging it to build strong institutional systems that can endure beyond current leadership.
“WJF has now assumed a life and momentum of its own. We must build it for posterity and not just for us present here today,” he said, noting that the association also runs the Western Jurists Sacco (WJS) as its economic mobilization arm.
Mudavadi praised members for steadily promoting the association’s vision, recruiting new members, and sustaining unity.
“Staying together is always the hardest part. I congratulate you for believing in yourselves, for the courage and the stamina to remain focused. Our community needs these virtues a great deal,” he said.
He encouraged jurists to make full use of the WJS, which he described as a homegrown response to socio-economic challenges in the region. He urged members to save consistently, borrow responsibly and invest wisely, saying the initiative aligns with the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
The PCS also commended WJF for its community projects across the five counties, including school support initiatives and free legal aid through the Wakili Nyumbani programme, which targets vulnerable residents. He said such interventions help improve legal awareness and access to justice, while the Inderema scholarship programme supports bright, needy students in secondary schools.
On environmental conservation, Mudavadi announced that WJF plans a five-year tree-fencing programme for schools to promote environmental stewardship, enhance privacy and expand tree cover in the region.
He further revealed that plans were underway to establish a WJF Virtual Learning Hub to equip youth with skills in artificial intelligence, renewable energy, solar installation, sustainability and software development.
Mudavadi also commended the forum for nurturing young leaders, noting the example of WJS chairperson Zack Alakonya. “They are the torch bearers when we are long departed and they should be supported to learn from us while we all can,” he said.
