The Advocates’ Benevolent Association is the welfare arm of the Law Society of Kenya and exists to support and help members who are in need, in distress, or difficulties. The Association has a medical benefit available to members who are admitted to hospital and have challenges in settling their medical bills. Additionally, the Association pays a token of last expenses to families of deceased members and supports the education of their children up to tertiary level. The Board of Management of the Association is tasked with entering into strategic partnerships to sustain the wellbeing of Advocates.
The Advocates’ Benevolent Association is the welfare arm of the Law Society of Kenya and exists to support and help members who are in need, in distress, or difficulties. The Association has a medical benefit available to members who are admitted to hospital and have challenges in settling their medical bills. Additionally, the Association pays a token of last expense to families of deceased members and supports the education of their children up to tertiary level. The Board of Management of the Association is tasked with entering into strategic partnerships to sustain the wellbeing of Advocates.
Membership
Membership of the Association consists of every Advocate who is a paid-up member of the Society by S.22 (b) and 23(1) of the Advocates Act and of Advocates admitted to Membership by the Board under Rule 16 of the ABA rules.
It is now possible for Advocates who are categorized under S.10 of the Advocates Act and wish to become members of the Association to make direct payment of ABA subscriptions. Members wishing to do so will need to put in a written request to the Board.
The current composition of the ABA Board of Management is as follows:
The Board holds meetings with various stakeholders to discuss and agree on partnerships beneficial to members. The Board also sponsors the Members’ Welfare Open Days to achieve the objectives of the Association under Rule 3 of the ABA Rules to enhance the welfare of members.
Lastly, the Board conducts Branch visits to sensitize members on the objectives of the ABA.
Currently, the annual subscriptions are KShs. 3,500 and KShs. 150,000 for Life Member subscriptions.
The Advocates’ Benevolent Association is the welfare arm of the Law Society of Kenya and exists to support and help members who are in need, in distress, or difficulties. The Association has a medical benefit available to members who are admitted to hospital and have challenges in settling their medical bills. Additionally, the Association pays a token of last expense to families of deceased members and supports the education of their children up to tertiary level. The Board of Management of the Association is tasked with entering into strategic partnerships to sustain the wellbeing of Advocates.
ABA Membership
The membership consists of every Advocate who is a member of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) under Section 22 (b) and Section 23 of the Advocates’ Act and any advocate admitted to membership by the Board under Rule 16 of the Advocates’ Benevolent Association Rules.
Programmes currently in place
Education support is given to children aged between 4years and 23 years at the time of application.
Under this policy, the Association pays the children’s education from Nursery Level right through to Tertiary level subject to the approved limits by the Board. The current limits are as follows:
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- Nursery School –KShs 40,000/= per student per academic year;
- Primary School –KShs 55,000/= per student per academic year;
- Secondary School –KShs 80,000/= per student per academic year;
- Tertiary – KShs 60,000/= per student per academic year and channeled through the ABA Revolving Fund.
- Kenya School of Law – KShs 190,000/= and channeled through the ABA Revolving Fund.
At the Y2019 AGM, members unanimously passed a motion to restructure the Association’s Tertiary benefits and to establish a Revolving Fund in conjunction with the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB). The ABA Revolving Fund will ensure that the Association’s funds remain available to finance its continuing operations without any fiscal year limitation. The Fund was launched on 21st February, 2020 and is now operational.
The Board of Management expanded the scope of the existing ABA Revolving Fund Service Contract to include students currently benefiting from the Kenya School of Law scholarship.
The Advocates’ Benevolent Association Board of Management is cognizant of the fact that Members are over time requiring medical assistance to help offset medical bills incurred due to various illnesses. The Board has, therefore, developed a policy that shall guide the disbursement of funds to Advocates in the event of sickness by Members.
This benefit, which is a one-off payment of KShs. 100,000/= is only applicable to a fully paid-up member of the Association and the appeal requested shall only be for inpatient cases. Payments are made directly to hospitals and a receipt is issued for the same.
The Last Expense cheque is paid to the next of kin as indicated in the deceased Advocates application for practicing certificate. If a non-practicing Advocate, in their latest update at the ABA secretariat. A formal appeal must be received by the Association within sixty (60) days after the demise of the Advocate.
The Applicants must provide the Association with a
- Burial permit/Death Certificate;
- Copy of the deceased Advocate’s Identification Card/ LSK Advocate’s Card;
- The Branch chairperson of where the Advocate ordinarily practices shall appeal on behalf of the Member.
The Amount payable is capped at KShs. 80, 000/=.
Wakili Personal Retirement Benefits Scheme:
Wakili Personal Retirement Benefits Scheme is a formal retirement savings plan for members of the Association and their non-Advocate employees. It is a structured and professionally run scheme to enable the Advocates to save towards their retirement.
Members who are interested in joining the scheme can access the membership portal by visiting https://pensionscloud.azurewebsites.net/ or fill in the membership forms here and thereafter forward the filled-in form to [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected].
Partnership between the Advocates’ Benevolent Association and Counsellors and Psychologists Society of Kenya (CPS-K).
The Board of Management is cognizant of the fact that the legal profession is competitive and demanding; and that members are vulnerable to stress, anxiety, burnout, depression, divorce, substance abuse, and compulsive behaviors and their reluctance to seek help as they are fearful, in denial, afraid of being embarrassed. As such, the mental health of Advocates has become a very critical issue and the same has been further exacerbated by the Covid 19 pandemic.
Accordingly, the Board of Management has entered into a partnership with the Counselors and Psychologists Society of Kenya (CPS-K) to collaborate and offer psychological and counseling services to members and their families at subsidized rates.
CPS-K is a society established under the Societies Act Cap 108 of the Laws of Kenya which among other things promotes and provides counseling and psychological services for the wellbeing and mental health of clients and generally offers psycho-education and psychological support to the general public.
The Board of Management shall pay for the first individual therapy session provided to paid–up members of the Association. Thereafter, members shall pay for all services rendered to them at the following agreed rates:
- Individual Therapy at KShs. 1,500/= per session;
- Couples Therapy at KShs. 2,000/= per session;
- Family Therapy at KShs. 2,500/= per session; and
- Group therapy at KShs. 600 per person with a minimum of 6 people.
Individuals in need of assistance can contact the ABA Secretariat through the details provided below or the Counsellors and Psychologists Society of Kenya (CPS-K) Chairperson, Mr. Kimani Githongo, Advocate on 0722-715-424.
Partnership between the Advocates’ Benevolent Association and Amref Flying Doctors.
The Board of Management of the Association has also entered into a partnership between itself and AMREF Flying Doctors. AMREF Flying Doctors is a leading, internationally accredited Air Ambulance Provider based in Kenya that has been in operation for the last 60 years with a dedicated fleet of short and long-range aircraft to facilitate accessibility to remote bush airstrips as well as to repatriate patients by air ambulance to other continents.
This partnership has created an avenue in which distressed members of the Association can receive medical evacuation services in case of a medical emergency.
Members interested in benefiting from the partnership can access the membership form here.
Frequently Asked Questions
The ABA is an association of Advocates whose sole objective is to help poor or distressed persons who are, in terms of priority, members of the Association and widows/widowers, children and dependents of deceased members.
The purpose/object of the Association is to help distressed members of the Association, pay a token of last expenses of deceased members and support the education of their children up to limits set by the Board of Management of the association and to do all things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of all or any of the foregoing objects and towards the advancements of members welfare.
Membership of the Association consists of every Advocate who is a paid up Member of the Society by virtue of S.22 (b) and 23(1) of the Advocates Act and of Advocates admitted to Membership by the Board under Rule 15 of the ABA Rules. However, the Association is yet to admit new Members under Rule 15 of the ABA Rules.
By paying the annual subscription for membership of the Association which is Kshs. 3,500/=. However, one may at any time constitute him/herself as a Life Member on payment of KShs. 150,000/= in lieu of subscriptions for any current year. (This is a one-off payment.)
Annual subscriptions are payable in January each year upon payment of the annual practicing certificate. Any member who shall be in arrears and who neglects to pay such arrears shall cease to be a member. However, the Board has power to reinstate such member upon payment of the arrears or on such other terms as the Board may deem fit.
- The Association runs an Education Assistance Policy in which it pays the children’s education from Nursery Level right through to Tertiary level subject to the approved limits by the Board. The Limits will be reviewed by the Board factoring in Inflation, Public Education Policies and Members’ feedback. The payments shall be directly to schools and a receipt as proof of payment MUST be received from the institution within 30 days of payment. No subsequent payments will be paid on behalf of a beneficiary where no receipts are received by the Board.
Students undertaking their Under Graduate Studies will be required to apply for assistance from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) or provide a clearance Certificate from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB). The Association shall enforce the Government Education Policy on Age Limits of Children. The Education support will be given to children aged between 4years and 23 years at the time of application. The Board shall reserve the right to determine the support of the children who do not fall within this age parameter.
The Current Board Limits are:
Nursery Kshs. 40, 000/=
Primary Kshs. 55, 000/=
Secondary Kshs. 80, 000/=
Tertiary Kshs. 60,000/=
- The Association also runs a Last Expenses Policy. This policy came into effect on 1st January, 2018. It is only applicable to a fully paid up member of the Association. A formal appeal must be received by the Association within thirty (30) days after demise of the advocate. The Amount is capped at Kshs. 50, 000.
- Further, the Association has Medical Assistance Policy in place. The benefit came into effect on 1st January, 2018. Benefit is only applicable to a fully paid up member of the Association and the appeal requested shall only be for inpatient cases. It is a one-off payment made directly to hospitals and a receipt issued for the same. Where a member has a medical cover they shall provide evidence of Exhaustion of the said cover. The Branch chairperson of where the Advocate ordinarily practices shall provide a recommendation letter on behalf of the Member. The Amount is capped at Kshs. 35, 000.
- The Board of Management is cognizant to the fact that our profession is competitive and demanding. Members are vulnerable to stress, anxiety, burnout, depression, divorce, substance abuse and compulsive behaviors. The reluctance of members to seek help as they are fearful, in denial, afraid of being embarrassed and concerned about their problems being known and negatively impacting on their status and reputation.
This is why the Lawyers Assistance Program has been put in place. The LAP as the Association thus far fondly refers to this Program, is a chance to help lawyers in need of emotional, personal or career related support.
Individuals in need, or those who may know someone who might qualify for assistance can get into contact with the ABA using the e-mail address [email protected] or call any of these numbers: 0717595006 or 0720904983
Contact Details
The offices of the Board are based at the Law Society of Kenya Secretariat. Individuals in need, or those who may know someone who might qualify for assistance can get in contact with the ABA Secretariat using: