Whose Lawyer Is Willis Otieno?
Whose Lawyer Is Willis Otieno?
Willis Otieno is a renowned city advocate with an impressive legal career. He has represented some of Kenya’s biggest names such as Raila Odinga, Jimmy Wanjigi and Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi in his capacity as counsel to various clients.
His humorous submission at the Supreme Court has been making headlines on social media. In particular, his ‘picky picky ponky’ analogy has become a nationwide trending sensation in Kenya.
Who is Willis Otieno?
Who is Willis Otieno and why is he a household name?
Willis Otieno is the founder and executive director of Pambazuko Mashinani in Kenya and a 2012 Rolex Awards for Enterprise Laureate. With an extensive background in health advocacy, social justice issues, and community engagement – not to mention 19 years of legal training! – his advocacy work has earned him widespread respect among peers as an expert on socio-economic rights and empowerment initiatives.
He spearheaded a revolutionary campaign that propelled Raila Odinga’s presidential bid to the top of the electoral roll. Additionally, he is an expert in governance and electoral processes.
Otieno is a true-blue Kenyan. A graduate of Moi University and the University of Eldoret, he holds both degrees in accounting.
He is an attorney by profession, but also enjoys spending time outdoors. He enjoys cycling and golfing, as well as playing billiards from time to time.
The best part is he doesn’t hesitate to show the world how deeply he cares.
His most important message is that he will continue fighting for people’s right to vote, hoping the Supreme Court will support his cause.
Why is he so popular?
Who Is Willis Otieno?
Willis Otieno is a Kenyan lawyer who has gained popularity among Kenyans after using humorous examples to explain how elections were rigged. The first humorous incident involved mocking IEBC head Wafula Chebukati for using nursery rhymes to select the presidential winner.
This particular example made headlines after it went viral on social media and has since made the rounds. Willis Otieno also gained notoriety on Wednesday when he was seen sweating profusely while making his submission in front of the supreme court.
Kenyans took his images and turned them into memes that went viral on social media. While he does not mind if people make fun of him online, he wants people to remember that he is a lawyer and not a comedian.
His popularity skyrocketed after he presented the case of Raila Odinga to the Supreme Court and made many Kenyans realize that the IEBC wasn’t following the law. He had great success with his argumentation, using analogies which Kenyans could relate to.
He is a Communications for Social Change scholar with a PhD in Mass Communication from The Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University. With extensive expertise on social change initiatives and good governance initiatives across Africa, Latin America and the United States, Dr. Hernandez brings with her an impressive resume.
Willis Otieno is the founding director of Pambazuko Mashinani in Kenya and a 2012 Rolex Award for Enterprise Laureate. He has collaborated with numerous organizations to foster social change and improve health conditions for communities around the world.
One reason he has become so popular is his intelligence and well-spoken nature, combined with an infectious sense of humor that draws many people in.
He has an in-depth understanding of how the law operates and uses this expertise to explain it clearly and concisely. This has earned him widespread popularity on social media, being credited for improving Kenya’s voting process. Furthermore, he was a key advocate for Azimo team during their fight against disputed elections; explaining why those elections were rigged and why they should be nullified.
What makes him so popular?
Willis Otieno: Who is He and Why Is He Popular?
Willis Otieno is a Communications for Social Change scholar by profession with 19 years of impressive work experience advocating social change across Africa, Latin America and the United States. His areas of expertise include child protection, health promotion and good governance.
Kenyans seeking to make an impact in the courts have long recognized Otieno as their go-to legal eagle. His no nonsense arguments at the Supreme Court have earned him numerous accolades, including the coveted most important lawyer award.
What has further enhanced Otieno’s reputation is his use of media to educate and influence others. His most recent creation is an animated video that utilizes virtual reality technology – so impressive it’s been shared multiple times on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with over two million viewers already watching it! It was an intelligent move by Mr. Otieno to make such a statement with such an innovative piece.
Who is he representing?
Who is Willis Otieno, Kenyan lawyer renowned for using humorous examples and analogies in court. His delivery is often lighthearted yet precise, helping many Kenyans gain understanding of their legal rights. With humor in court, Willis Otieno has earned himself a place of honor within the legal community.
He has also been praised for his ability to make judges understand how elections were fixed, through nursery rhymes. This use of humor has become especially popular on social media during recent presidential election petition hearings.
On Wednesday, Wafula Chebukati of the Independent Elector and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) caused laughter at the Supreme Court of Kenya when he sang the pre-school nursery rhyme inky pinky ponky while explaining how they circumvented the law. He claimed that IEBC had been compromised, leading to false results in the August 9 polls.
Otieno said the IEBC had promised to clean their staff members’ database, yet failed to do so. He claimed this weakened the integrity of the elections as compromised numbers entered August polls from Chebukati and fellow commissioners Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu. Otieno called on judges to investigate Chebukati, Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu for their roles in this scandal.
At the Bomas of Kenya presidential results declaration, two commissioners were not present but still followed their chairman. Therefore, Chebukati declared President-elect William Ruto the victor.
In addition to Otieno, there are a number of well-known lawyers who have changed sides and are now representing Mr Ruto. These include Rachier & Amollo Advocates and Jotham Arwa.
Other lawyers who have left Mr Odinga’s team include Mr Paul Muite, Mr Erick Gumbo and Mr Kamau Karori. The IEBC is represented by Senior Counsel Paul Muite and Mr Issa Mansur in addition to Chebukati.
Otieno has also been implicated in several cases, such as Senator-elect Okiya Omtatah’s affidavit in Busia which contends the polls were fixed. According to him, elections were conducted using automated devices and foreigners with access to IEBC servers.
