Nairobi has witnessed a scene straight out of a blockbuster when soon-to-be advocate Billie Nyakawa arrived for his bar admission ceremony like a cowboy.
Dressed sharply in his traditional advocate’s gown and powdered wig, Nyakawa glided into the bustling Nairobi CBD on horseback. But this was no ordinary trot. His horse, seemingly sensing the occasion, moved with majestic confidence, weaving through traffic as startled pedestrians stopped to stare.
To many, it looked as though Nyakawa had embraced full royal energy on his big day. The horse paced elegantly toward the Supreme Court of Kenya, where Chief Justice Martha Koome was presiding over the ceremony.
You’re only admitted to the bar once. and yes, I rode here. #wakilibillie #congradulationswakili pic.twitter.com/VQAIUmxGgq
— Wakili Billie (@billienyakawa) November 21, 2025
Nyakawa was not riding solo either. A now-viral video shows two other men on horseback following closely behind, creating a dramatic procession that briefly transformed Nairobi’s city centre into a scene from a historical epic.
The internet, as expected, erupted.
brianteddyodhiambo joked, “…Aliamua akuje na design yake noma…” While khalils_adv chimed in, “…Okay, that was cool bana..”
Over on X, humour galloped just as fast. User @opanypaul delivered a killer pun: “…setting the bar high, what a horsepower…” sending netizens into a frenzy.
Amid the laughter and admiration, Kenyans also sent their congratulations to the newest advocates, including veteran journalist Linus Kaikai, who was among those admitted to the bar.
The ceremony marked a milestone in a profession whose journey in Kenya has evolved dramatically. From the 1830s to the 1930s, colonial laws barred locals from qualifying as advocates, limiting practice to British-trained lawyers.
It wasn’t until the mid-colonial period and later independence reforms that Kenyans began training as lawyers, leading to the establishment of institutions such as the University of Nairobi Law Faculty, the Kenya School of Law, and the Advocates Act (Cap 16).
Today, bar admissions are routine—yet Nyakawa reminded the country that even a tradition-bound event can still produce a surprise.