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Allen Gichuhi: The 48th LSK President Described as “Second to None” Litigator

Chambers Global Guide 2021 noted that Allen “enjoys an excellent reputation for his arbitration and litigation experience in complex commercial issues and the recognition of peers as the former president of the Law Society of Kenya.” It added: “He is passionate about litigation, and his grasp of matters of court procedures and the application of the law in litigation is second to none.”

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Allen Waiyaki Gichuhi, EBS, C.Arb, The 48th President of Law Society of Kenya & Founding and Senior Partner at Wamae & Allen Advocates

Allen Gichuhi is a lawyer who has reached the pinnacle of the legal profession by all standards: recognized as one of the best legal minds in Kenya, successfully handled numerous complex and precedent-setting matters, won the confidence of his peers to elect him to lead them from the top, authored the “holy grail” of litigation strategy and built one of the most premier boutique law firms in Kenya. Allen Gichuhi is simply a legal luminary who has raised the bar in every aspects of legal practice he has been involved in especially litigation and arbitration.

Indeed, if the legal profession in Nigeria has Gbenga Oyebode (the celebrated Lawyer and former Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association who founded the country’s top law firm Aluko & Oyebode) and South Africa Bar has Patrice Motsepe (the mining lawyer who rose to a top lawyer at Bowmans and left to transform and dominate the world of Mining as a business magnate), then Kenya has Allen Gichuhi. Like Oyebode and Motspepe, Allen is one of the few in the legal profession who have been able not only to achieve recognized excellence in legal practice but also have helped many businesses and individuals in realizing their higher business and growth goals.

In 2021, the prestigious Chambers & Partners, ranked Allen Gichuhi among the top 18 litigation lawyers in Kenya placing him in the same Band with the Former Honourable Attorney General of Kenya Prof. Githu Muigai SC and other leading lawyers. Allen was also ranked among the top 10 Arbitrators in Kenya alongside Former Retired Appellate Judge Justice Aaron G. Ringera among others. Chambers Global Guide 2021 noted that Allen “enjoys an excellent reputation for his arbitration and litigation experience in complex commercial issues and the recognition of peers as the former president of the Law Society of Kenya.” It added: “He is passionate about litigation, and his grasp of matters of court procedures and the application of the law in litigation is second to none.”

Allen is a leading Litigation Advocate with over 24 years of experience and is widely respected in the Banking and Corporate world for his excellent litigation skills and sharp grasp of the Law. As the Senior Partner at Wamae & Allen Advocates, Allen specializes in commercial and administrative law (public law) litigation. In these areas, his forte is banking (debt collection, realization of securities and injunctions), company law (litigation involving receiverships), insurance, bankruptcy, employment and property law, medical and professional negligence amongst others.

In arbitration, Allen is a Chartered Arbitrator, the highest rank given to Arbitrators, and has published over 30 arbitral Awards which have gone on to be enforced with none overturned by the courts. He has also successfully handled numerous arbitration representing clients nd winning impressive awards including obtaining an arbitral award for 9 millers against the Kenyan Government for a claim of Kshs 2 Billion at the Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration and an award of Kshs. 1.1 Billion for an Importer Client against National Cereals and Produce Board and Ministry of Agriculture.

Allen has been actively involved in legal reforms and advocacy especially on behalf of clients and has been part of teams behind important legislative, regulatory and policy in the corporate and commercial law space. In 2017 and 2018, he petitioned Parliament to enact the Fraud Act and amend the Consumer Protection Act to have the in duplum rule apply to all money lending transactions. He has also participated in the drafting of Kenya’s Court Mandated Mediation Rules, Advocates Remuneration Orders 2006 and 2014 and Practice Directions for the High Court and Court of Appeal (2014), updating the Chartered Institute Arbitration Rules (2020).

In addition, Allen served as the 48th President of the Law Society of Kenya where he left a legacy of reform, innovation and international collaboration and launched a Mentorship Program for Young Lawyers. Allen also served as one of the pioneer Directors of Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration gazette under the NCIA Act 2013 for 5 years (2013 to 2018). Presently, Allen is the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) Director in charge of Legal Matters and Professionals

Allen graduated from University of Nairobi with an LLB(Hons.) in 1995 and a Diploma in Law from Kenya School of Law in 1996 and was admitted to the bar in February 1997. He practiced corporate and commercial law and litigation at Dentons Hamilton Harrison and Mathews as an Associate for 6 years and at Walker Kontos, the Kenyan affiliate of the Norton Rose Fullbright, as Partner and Lead Partner-Litigation for a total of 10 years.

In 2013, he founded Wamae & Allen Advocates as Senior Partner with Charles Wamae as the firm’s Managing Partner. Today, the firm has 4 partners (including one consultant) and 15 associates and is an active member of Multilaw, a leading global network of independent law firms with over 10,000 lawyers in more than 150 commercial centres.

Allen has authored over 20 articles on litigation practice and the best-selling book on litigation in Kenya: Litigation: The Art of Strategy and Practice (2017). He has made numerous presentations at International Conferences and Forums including Law Society of England and Wales 2019 Opening of the Year and Global Lawyers Forum held in Guangzhou (2019). Since 2005, he has facilitated numerous LSK Continuous Legal Education (CLE) Courses and trained over 10,000 Advocates, Judicial Officers and Students of Law. In 2019, he received Elder of the Burning Spear Award (EBS) Award from the Head of State (2019) for his immense contribution to the Kenyan legal profession.

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Lawyers

Njoki Mboce: I am Members Project for LSK President

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By Njoki Mboce for LSK President 2024-2026 Team

Today, LSK faces an existential threat from those who seek to compromise its mandate by aligning with the regime in ongoing attempts to undermine the place of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and erode the Rule of Law. This has the potential to regress the country to a state of impunity and dictatorship reminiscent of the past.

In such turbulent times, the LSK requires a leader who is resolute, decisive, and impartial. Harriet Njoki Mboce is this suitable leader, with a firm reputation, who will speak Truth to power in the face of encroaching dictatorship.

The actions of a candidate are a mirror of who they are, and what they will be in office. If a candidate wants the office at all costs, and abuses members’ trust to get there, they will have no integrity while in office. Harriet Njoki Mboce is unequivocally the LSK Members’ project. Boldly and firmly acting to defend Independence of the BAR, institutions, and the Rule of Law, she has maintained this commitment throughout her campaigns for President of LSK. This offers a strong basis to fearlessly champion members’ interests and protect the BAR from capture by the State and unscrupulous cartels.

Growing up, I dreamt of being a Navy Officer. I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would one day be seeking the Presidency of an organisation previously led by impeccable names such as SC Gibson Kamau Kuria, SC Pheroze Nowrojee, SC Paul Muite, SC Hon Dr. Willy Mutunga (CJ Emeritus) and SC Raychelle Omamo, among others. It has taken resilience and a high dose of firm, and bold commitment to get here.

LSK requires a leader to withstand the pressure within and without, and to take the heat on behalf of the membership, whenever the Country and the Society’s living tenets come under threat. This resilience as a quality in the President of LSK enables me in a big way to see the wider horizon of the environment we operate in, to prepare for the storms and to boldly and firmly focus and act on our bigger mandate.

Come elections day, 29th February, 2024, I invite members to ask themselves: Which candidate shows real signs that they will not be corrupted, will run an accountable organisation and will sustain the moral and probity to place the LSK on a path of Independence? I humbly seek your vote to bring this desire home. Please vote for the Member’s project, Harriet Njoki Mboce, HSC for President of The Law Society of Kenya (2024-2026)

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Lawyers

Way Forward in Ensuring Just Transition in Climate Justice

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By Hon. Prof. Kariuki Muigua, OGW, PhD, C.Arb, FCIArb is a Professor of Environmental Law and Dispute Resolution at the University of Nairobi, Member of Permanent Court of Arbitration, Leading Environmental Law Scholar, Respected Sustainable Development Policy Advisor, Top Natural Resources Lawyer, Highly-Regarded Dispute Resolution Expert and Awardee of the Order of Grand Warrior (OGW) of Kenya by H.E. the President of Republic of Kenya. He is The African ADR Practitioner of the Year 2022, The African Arbitrator of the Year 2022, ADR Practitioner of the Year in Kenya 2021, CIArb (Kenya) Lifetime Achievement Award 2021 and ADR Publisher of the Year 2021 and Author of the Kenya’s First ESG Book: Embracing Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) tenets for Sustainable Development” (Glenwood, Nairobi, July 2023) and Kenya’s First Two Climate Change Law Book: Combating Climate Change for Sustainability (Glenwood, Nairobi, October 2023), Achieving Climate Justice for Development (Glenwood, Nairobi, October 2023) and Promoting Rule of Law for Sustainable Development (Glenwood, Nairobi, January 2024)*

In order to embrace just transition, it is imperative to build a climate resilient and integrated sustainable energy sector in Africa and other regions which are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. It has been observed that Africa has rich energy and mineral resources including lithium, graphite, cobalt, nickel, copper, and rare earth minerals all of which provide new market opportunities for the green transition. This coupled with the Continent’s renewable energy potential means that Africa has the capacity to achieve just transition to an equitable and inclusive low-carbon future.

It has correctly been observed that Africa has immense potential for renewable energy including wind, solar, hydro, bioenergy, ocean tidal waves, geothermal among other renewables. It has been pointed out that in order to ensure delivery of global climate change mitigation goals, developing countries will need to drive investment towards building a renewable energy infrastructure that can serve their populations into the future and not drive further climate breakdown.

A just transition promotes the shift towards renewable sources of energy and sustainable practices, reducing the reliance on fossil fuels and mitigating the impacts of climate change. It is therefore important for developing countries to embrace just transition by promoting renewable sources of energy in order to achieve climate justice and energy justice. It is also essential to integrate just transition initiatives in national climate action plans and adaptation plans.

It has been observed that the importance of just transition is increasingly being recognized by governments worldwide as they cite just transition principles in their short- and long-term climate plans known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Long-Term Strategies (LTSs). Embedding just transition strategies within short and long term climate plans like NDCs and LTS, can help governments stay focused on the urgent task at hand of rapid decarbonization, while also striving for fair and inclusive outcomes.

In Kenya, the National Climate Change Action Plan enshrines the principles of just transition and seeks to foster an equitable and inclusive climate response which ensures an electricity supply mix based mainly on renewable energy that is resilient to climate change and promotes energy efficiency; encourage the transition to clean cooking that reduces the demand for biomass; and reduced exposure and vulnerability of the country, and especially of the poor and vulnerable groups, to climate disasters and shocks. It is therefore necessary for countries to incorporate just transition initiatives in their NDCs and LTSs in order to achieve efficient climate outcomes. This will demonstrate commitment towards achieving climate justice while securing public support for ambitious and stronger climate action.

Further, there is need to unlock and align climate finance with the idea of just transition. It has been argued that governments have an obligation to mobilize sustainable, affordable, predictable and long-term finance from public and private, domestic and international sources, and aligning public and private financial flows and public procurement to the objectives of a just transition. According to the UNFCCC, increased climate finance is needed to effectively address the challenges and seize the opportunities of just transitions in country-specific and sector-specific pathways considering the local circumstances.

Climate finance has been identified as a key tool towards fostering climate justice since it recognizes the inequalities between countries with developing countries being the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change and thus requiring financial resources to aid their mitigation and adaptation programmes86. It is therefore imperative for all countries and especially developing countries to unlock climate finance from multiple sources including public, private and multilateral sources in order to achieve just transition by addressing the socio-economic impacts of climate change and addressing climate inequalities more broadly through efficient mitigation and adaptation strategies.

In addition, it is necessary to embrace and enhance technology transfer between developed and developing countries in order to enhance the capacity of the former to later to embrace just transition. It has been pointed out that developing countries have vast renewable potential, but are unable to realize it as long as they are constrained by lack of access to green technologies. Without access to environmentally sound technologies, developing countries in particular least developed countries, will not be able to meet mitigation targets and will be forced to continue using carbon-intensive technologies resulting in climate and sustainability concerns.

Transferring low-carbon and green technologies to those most at risk of climate crisis is critical, among a range of other measures, to ensure that people can respond and adapt to the threat of climate change. Technology transfer can support the climate agenda in developing countries for energy and other sectoral transitions.

The Paris Agreement acknowledges the importance of technology for the implementation of mitigation and adaptation actions and urges countries to promote and facilitate enhanced action on technology development and transfer in order to support the implementation of the Agreement. It is thus pertinent for developed countries to promote transfer of low-carbon technologies including green technologies in developing countries in order to support climate action in such countries.

Developing countries should on the other hand remove barriers to green technology transfer including Intellectual Property barriers and revise bilateral and multilateral trade agreements that present a barrier to transfer initiatives. Finally, there is need to foster capacity building in order to effectively realize just transition. One of the key challenges in achieving climate justice through just transition has been identified to be inadequate national capacity on just transition initiatives.

Capacity building can strengthen individual and institutional capacities on just transition in key areas such as policymaking, cross-sectoral coordination, and stakeholder participation. It can further enhance the ability of the public to be involved in key decisions in the journey towards just transition. It has been pointed out that participation and engagement are crucial for achieving just sustainability transitions.

Capacity building is therefore integral in achieving just transition. It is thus necessary for all countries and especially developing states to strengthen their legal, institutional, technical, human, social and financial capacity in order to embrace just transition. The above among other measures are necessary in order to achieve equitable and inclusive just transition towards climate justice.

*This is an extract from the Book: Promoting Rule of Law for Sustainable Development (Glenwood, Nairobi, January 2024) by Hon. Prof.  Kariuki Muigua, OGW, PhD, Professor of Environmental Law and Dispute Resolution, Senior Advocate of Kenya, Chartered Arbitrator, Kenya’s ADR Practitioner of the Year 2021 (Nairobi Legal Awards), ADR Lifetime Achievement Award 2021 (CIArb Kenya), African Arbitrator of the Year 2022, Africa ADR Practitioner of the Year 2022, Member of National Environment Tribunal (NET) Emeritus (2017 to 2023) and Member of Permanent Court of Arbitration nominated by Republic of Kenya. Prof. Kariuki Muigua is a foremost Environmental Law and Natural Resources Lawyer and Scholar, Sustainable Development Advocate and Conflict Management Expert in Kenya. Prof. Kariuki Muigua teaches Environmental Law and Dispute resolution at the University of Nairobi School of Law, The Center for Advanced Studies in Environmental Law and Policy (CASELAP) and Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies. He has published numerous books and articles on Environmental Law, Environmental Justice Conflict Management, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Sustainable Development. Prof. Muigua is also a Chartered Arbitrator, an Accredited Mediator, the Managing Partner of Kariuki Muigua & Co. Advocates and Africa Trustee Emeritus of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators 2019-2022. Prof. Muigua is a 2023 recipient of President of the Republic of Kenya Order of Grand Warrior (OGW) Award for his service to the Nation as a Distinguished Expert, Academic and Scholar in Dispute Resolution and recognized among the top 5 leading lawyers and dispute resolution experts in Band 1 in Kenya by the Chambers Global Guide 2024 and was listed in the Inaugural THE LAWYER AFRICA Litigation Hall of Fame 2023 as one of the Top 50 Most Distinguished Litigation Lawyers in Kenya and the Top Arbitrator in Kenya in 2023.

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Africa Union., ‘Agenda 2063: The Africa we Want.’ Available at https://au.int/sites/default/files/documents/33126- docframework_document_book.pdf (Accessed on 29/11/2023).

African Development Bank Group., ‘Just Transition Initiative to Address Climate Change in the African Context.’ Available at https://www.afdb.org/en/topics-andsectors/initiatives-partnerships/climate-investment-funds-cif/just-transitioninitiative (Accessed on 29/11/2023).

Climate Policy., ‘Just Transition and Climate Justice.’ Available at https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/tcpo20/collections/Just-Transition-andClimate-Justice (Accessed on 29/11/2023).

Colenbrander. S et al., ‘Using Climate Finance to Advance Climate Justice: The Politics and Practice of Channeling Resources to the Local Level.’ Climate Policy, 2017.

European Commission., ‘The Just Transition Mechanism: Making Sure no One is Left Behind.’ Available at https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities2019-2024/european-green-deal/finance-and-green-deal/just-transition-mechanism_en (Accessed on 29/11/2023).

European Environment Agency., ‘The Case for Public Participation in Sustainability Transitions.’ Available at https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/the-case-forpublic-participation (Accessed on 29/11/2023).

Giles, M., ‘The Principles of Climate Justice at CoP27.’ Available at https://earth.org/principlesofclimatejustice/#:~:text=That%20response%20should %20be%20based,the %20consequences%20of%20clim ate%20change (Accessed on 28/11/2023).

Government of Kenya., ‘National Climate Change Action Plan (Kenya): 2018-2022.’ Nairobi: Ministry of Environment and Forestry (2018)., Available at https://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/8737.pdf (Accessed on 29/11/2023).

International Institute for Sustainable Development., ‘Rethinking Technology Transfer to Support the Climate Agenda.’ Available at https://sdg.iisd.org/commentary/guest-articles/rethinking-technology-transfer-to-supportthe-climate-agenda/ (Accessed on 29/11/2023).

International Labour Organization., ‘Frequently Asked Questions on Just Transition.’ Available at https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/greenjobs/WCMS_824102/lang–en/index.htm (Accessed on 29/11/2023).

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Kemei. N., ‘Navigating the Path of Just Transition: Kenya’s Sustainable Future.’ Available at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/navigating-path-just-transitionkenyas-sustainable-future-naomikemei/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&utm_campaign=share _via (Accessed on 29/11/2023).

Lee. S., ‘Unpacking Just Transition: What is it and How Can We Achieve it in Africa?.’ Available at https://climatepromise.undp.org/news-and-stories/unpacking-justtransition-what-it-and-how-can-we-achieve-itafrica?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7ufGuYrpggMVboVoCR2gtAn3EAAYASAAE gL8VvD_BwE (Accessed on 29/11/2023).

McCauley. D., & Heffron. R., ‘Just Transition: Integrating Climate, Energy and Environmental Justice.’ Energy Policy., Volume 119, 2018, pp 1-7.

Monica. T & Bronwyn. L., ‘Community Lawyering and Climate Justice: A New Frontier.’ Alternative Law Journal (47) 3 pp 199-203.

Muigua. K., ‘Achieving Sustainable Development, Peace and Environmental Security.’ Glenwood Publishers Limited, 2021.

Muigua. K., ‘Fostering Climate Justice for Sustainable Development.’ Available at https://kmco.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Fostering-Climate-Justice-forSustainable- Development.pdf (Accessed on 28/11/2023).

Newell. P., ‘Toward Transformative Climate Justice: An Emerging Research Agenda.’ WIREs Climate Change., Volume 12, Issue 6 (2021).

Oxfam., ‘Climate Justice.’ Available at https://www.oxfam.org.au/what-wedo/climate-justice/ (Accessed on 28/11/2023).

Partnership for Action on Green Economy., ‘Argentina’s Capacity Building on Green Jobs and Just Transition.’ Available at https://www.un-page.org/news/argentinascapacity-building-on-green-jobs-and-just-transition/ (Accessed on 29/11/2023).

Ramsey County., ‘On climate justice: Climate Change and Environmental Justice.’ Available at https://www.ramseycounty.us/content/climate-justice-climate-changeand-environmentaljustice#:~:text= Climate%20Justice%20is%20a%20subset,the%20impacts%20of%20cli mate%20change (Accessed on 28/11/2023).

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Smith. J., ‘Global Climate Justice Activism: “The New Protagonists” and their Projects for a Just Transition.’ Available at https://web.archive.org/web/20190429063257id_/http://dscholarship.pitt.edu/ 35560/1/Smith%20and%20Patterson%20Unequal%20Exchange%20Volume%20New%20Protagonists%2 0DScholarship.pdf (Accessed on 29/11/2023).

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Lawyers

Dr. Paul Ogendi AI Agenda for LSK Upcountry Representative

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Top Law Scholar and Practitioner Dr. Paul Ogendi, in race for LSK Upcountry Representative 2024-2026

Dear Esteemed Members of the Law Society of Kenya,

As your candidate for Up-Country Representative for the term 2024-2026, I am committed to advancing our legal profession and embracing the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI). Here are actionable steps to implement my agenda concerning AI in the legal sector:

1. Education and Awareness:

  • Organize workshops, webinars, and seminars to educate legal practitioners about AI technologies, their applications, and ethical considerations.
  • Collaborate with universities and legal institutions to integrate AI courses into legal education curricula.

2. Research and Development:

  • Establish a task force or committee focused on AI research within the Law Society.
  • Encourage legal professionals to explore AI tools for legal research, document review, and case prediction.
  • Foster partnerships with tech companies and research institutions to develop AI solutions tailored to legal needs.

3. Ethical Guidelines:

  • Develop clear guidelines for the responsible use of AI in legal practice.
  • Address concerns related to bias, transparency, and accountability in AI algorithms.
  • Promote adherence to professional ethics while leveraging AI tools.

4. Automating Routine Tasks:

  • Identify repetitive tasks (such as contract review, due diligence, and legal research) that can be automated using AI.
  • Invest in AI-powered tools to streamline administrative processes, allowing lawyers to focus on complex legal issues.

5. Legal Analytics and Predictive Modeling:

  • Encourage law firms and practitioners to adopt AI-driven analytics platforms.
  • Leverage predictive models to assess case outcomes, identify trends, and make informed decisions.

6. Client Services and Communication:

  • Implement AI chatbots for client inquiries, appointment scheduling, and basic legal advice.
  • Enhance communication channels through AI-driven tools to improve client satisfaction.

7. Data Security and Privacy:

  • Address data protection concerns by ensuring compliance with privacy laws.
  • Collaborate with cybersecurity experts to safeguard sensitive legal information processed by AI systems.

8. Collaboration and Networking:

  • Engage with other legal associations, tech communities, and government bodies to share best practices.
  • Attend AI conferences and forums to stay updated on advancements and network with industry experts.

Remember, our goal is not to replace lawyers but to empower them with AI tools that enhance efficiency, accuracy, and access to justice. Let us embrace this technological evolution while upholding the highest standards of legal practice.

Yours sincerely,

Dr. Paul Ogendi,
Up-Country Representative 2024-2026
Law Society of Kenya.

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