BY CLAUSE MASIK
Since he was born, famed lawyer Danstan Omari would not have in his wildest dreams thought he would one day be making a mark in the legal profession.
Despite coming short in scoring the needed points in his secondary education examinations, Omari was confident enough to try and select himself for the for a law degree course during University selection.
“It came to that period where students are selecting the university and I did select Law as first choice Law, second choice Law, third choice Law. I was that confident. However, the results came in, and I was called for a Bachelor of Education at Kenyatta University,” said the lawyer.
Over time, Danstan Omari has risen to be one of Kenya’s high-profile lawyers, often representing politicians and prominent individuals including former Chief Justice David Maraga and the late Tob Cohen and his family.
Representation that caught the public eye include of former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i and reknown televangelist Ezekiel Odero.
Dr. Matiang’i had been the subject of a probe by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) while Pastor Ezekiel had been taken into custody following damning revelations of cultic practices that led to deaths of believers in the Coastal region.
He has beaten many odds leading to his admission to the bar as an advocate in November 2011 and graduated with a Masters degree in Law in December that same year. Despite his seniors advising him to continue working as a children’s officer for only three more years to hit the age of 50 and unlock retirement benefits, Omari quit the job and jumped into practicing law headfirst.
He has gone to cut a niche for himself by representing individuals including prominent figures in child support cases, and eventually, became a familiar face representing politicians and businessmen in all sorts of matters.