What is the value of KES 3500? What can KES 3500 buy in Kenya today? Dinner for two, perhaps a bottle of top-shelf liquor? Essentially, KES 3500 falls within most individuals’ “pocket change” range.
However, what if KES 3500 could be your saving grace during unprecedented situations like illness? (especially given the uncertainty with Kenya’s healthcare system today). What if KES 3500 could afford you the assurance that your loved ones are taken care of, even in your absence? What if KES 3500 is the starting point for a dignified retirement?
Today, we spotlight the Advocates Benevolent Association (ABA), the Law Society of Kenya’s welfare wing. The ABA is the body putting your KES 3500 to work so that you reap more benefits than you ordinarily would from a similar amount.
We caught up with the ABA’s chairperson, Byron Menezes, on 6th November, two days before the Association signed an MoU with Mega Health Insurance Brokers, and KWFT. The MoUs are among several strategic partnerships the ABA has secured to cater to the Advocates’ welfare. Learn about the ABA, including its programs, workshops, eligibility, and other functions you can leverage to secure you and your family’s future.
The ABA’s Welfare Sensitization Strategy
Byron Menezes began by expressing that all advocates must be aware of the ABA and its benefits, given that they pay an annual fee to the association.
Mr. Menezes and the current ABA Board were sworn into office on March 31st, 2024. “Once we settled in, we realized that sensitization was a priority.” The ABA Medical Assistance Program is one of the four programs whose awareness and uptake levels the new ABA Board hopes to increase among advocates. You can read about each program and its benefits here.
To facilitate sensitization, Byron Menezes and his Board are deliberate about hosting as many webinars as possible across the different branches and categories. Such regular, targeted webinars ensure that everyone can log into the webinars and learn as much as possible.
Second, the ABA previously lacked official communication channels independent of the LSK. While the new board still communicates through official LSK channels like the LSK newsletter and the ABA tab on the LSK website, it has also opened various social media communication channels, including an X (formerly Twitter ) page and a Facebook page where they post all their upcoming webinars and news.
Third, while the ABA’s limited prominence is a matter of concern in Nairobi, the need for sensitization is greater among advocates in the rest of the country. However, Mr. Menezes expresses optimism because, for the first time, the ABA’s Board comprises a majority of upcountry representatives, including himself. “The profession itself continues to grow. I can tell you chapters like Busia, which had 20-28 members now have 50-60 members.”
Besides the digital platforms, the ABA Board also relies on offline communication strategies to sensitize advocates countrywide. “We’re trying to be available to members everywhere by attending as many events as possible organized across the different LSK chapters, branches, and of course, the national office.”
The ABA’s Strategic Partnerships and Benefits for Members
Conversations around welfare and mentorship are but one piece of the puzzle for the ABA. The association has lived up to its mandate by securing strategic partnerships and memoranda of understanding with stakeholders in certain welfare sectors.
One such partnership is an MoU with the Counselors and Psychologists Society of Kenya (CPS-K) under the Advocates Assistance Program to offer subsidized psychological and counseling services to members and their families. “If you need a counselor, you can get in touch with the CPS-K and inform them that you’re an advocate.”
The ABA covers the first individual session for paid-up members, while subsequent sessions cost a subsidized KES 1500 per session. You can read more about the Advocates Assistance Program under the drop-down menu with a similar title here.
As highlighted earlier, the ABA formalized MoUs with other stakeholders on Friday, November 8th. First, the ABA signed an MoU with Mega Health Insurance Brokers, which covers various insurance indemnities. According to Byron Menezes, the MoU with Mega Health would assist advocates with diverse policies, including health, education, and different indemnities for law firms.
Another strategic ABA partnership is with Kenya Women Finance Trust (KWFT). Mr Menezes highlights that KWFT MoU includes a last respect cover starting at KES 700 annually, and the payout is KES 100,000. Additionally, KWFT offers a family package of KES 3000, which you can use to insure up to ten people.
Mr. Menezes expresses optimism that future partnerships will include financial literacy, investment plans, and pension schemes, especially for young lawyers (but not excluding senior lawyers and associates). The ABA also plans to relaunch its pension program in partnership with Britam and ICEA LION.
“The first thing most advocates do when they start earning an income is buy expensive suits, flashier watches, a flashier car, moving to a flashier address, and then the issue of investing in your future starts becoming a distant memory. Once you get to your forties and things start to slow down, is when you realize that you might have misused the most productive years of your life.”
The ABA also has MoUs with different hotels across the country to ensure ample and adequate accommodation options at various price points for lawyers whenever they travel. Closely related to traveling, the ABA has also signed an MoU with several dry cleaners. Conclusion:
The ABA is also working to secure more partnerships to accrue even more benefits for its members. As you take stock of your year, there is no better time to learn about the ABA’s programs and the security they offer. Adding such information to your 2025 Vision Board would help you start the new year on a high note.
