High court of Kenya rules in favour of watch dog to stop price fixing

Lawyers have been dealt a blow after the High Court dismissed a petition seeking to quash a section of the law that prevents them from fixing prices without seeking approval from the competition watchdog.

High Court judge Hedwig Ong’udi backed the law that requires professional bodies like the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) to get the nod of the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) before setting prices for lawyers’ services, including conveyance, filing of suits, registration of trademarks and debt collection.

Parliament amended Section 29 of the Competition Act in 2019 prescribing fines and even jail terms for professional associations engaged in price-setting without seeking exemption from the CAK.

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