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Kenneth W. Akide, SC: The 45th President of LSK and Gentle Giant of Law in Kenya

Kenneth Akide is a lawyer who has literally been there and done it having practiced law for more than a quarter of a century and sat at the helm of many corporate entities. His leadership was proven in steering LSK through the transition into the Constitution of Kenya 2010 dispensation.

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Kenneth W. Akide, SC, the 45th President of the Law Society of Kenya and Managing Partner of Akide & Company Advocates

Kenneth Wabwire Akide is truly a giant of the legal profession in Kenya being one of the most knowledgeable, experienced and recognized lawyers in the country. As an advocate of the rank of Senior Counsel who has practiced law for more than a quarter of a century and distinguished himself in legal practice and public service, Akide remains very accessible to clients and courteous to colleagues, a trait that has won him the trust of his many clients, most of whom are leading blue-chip companies in Kenya.

Indeed, the current state of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) makes many lawyers in practice and in-house remember and miss the days of Senior Counsel Akide at the helm of LSK with nostalgia. As the 45th President of LSK from March 2010 to March 2012, Senior Counsel Akide served the society with distinction goes down in the annals of Kenya’s history as the LSK President who was in office during the promulgation of the current Constitution of Kenya and the man who led LSK council in doing its part to midwife the country’s transition into the current Constitutional dispensation.

Senior Akide oversaw the first election of LSK Representatives to Judicial Service Commission in December 2010 with Florence Mwangangi and Ahmednassir Abdullahi being elected the Female and Male Representatives respectively. He also led the process of nominating LSK Members to the inaugural membership of Constitutional Commissions without any controversy. It is in recognition of his exemplary service to the legal and public service in Kenya that President Mwai Kibaki conferred Akide the rank of “Senior Counsel” on 11th December 2012.

Consistent Excellence in Practice of Law

But before and after he was the 45th LSK President, Senior Counsel Akide always excelled in the practice of law. He is the Founding and Managing Partner of Akide & Company, the law firm he founded in 1996, where he practices law along with 2 other partners and a handful of associates. Akide & Co. Advocates is one of Nairobi City’s foremost commercial and dispute resolution law firms which is committed “to providing world class legal services to effectively address the legal issues of its clients.”

Senior Counsel Akide is a very experienced and highly sought-after legal counsel and consultant for his wealth of experience and wide exposure given his status in the legal profession and his many years in legal practice. As the Managing Partner of Akide & Co. Advocates, Senior Counsel Akide’s main responsibilities include offering legal advice to clients as well as laying out winning strategy for his clients in both transactions, deals and matters in court and other forums. He also assists clients in conveyancing and guiding real estate projects, negotiating and drafting commercial agreements, leases and mortgages.

Senior Counsel Akide is also involved in the day to day running of the firm where he plays a key role in the overall leadership, managing and guiding over dozen-member team at the firm. He is also called upon from time to time to offer legal advisory especially in the areas of corporate governance, energy law, natural resources, mining and extractives, constitutional law and devolution, environmental law and advocacy and insurance law.

Outstanding legal practice and recent relevant experience

Akide & Company lawyers including Senior Counsel Akide stand out for their outstanding legal practice and recent relevant experience in commercial transactions and conveyancing, litigation and ADR, environmental law, constitutional law and governance, insurance law, natural resources and extractives law, corporate governance, procurement law, joint ventures, privatization and trust law. George Munene is the Partner in charge of Commercial and Conveyancing while Martha T. Mwakio is in charge of Litigation and ADR.

Senior Counsel Akide, a Certified Public Secretary (CPS), heads the Corporate Governance and Emerging Law Areas Practice. Together with his team, he has successfully executed complex mandates that include incorporation of companies, private, public and foreign companies and subsidiaries, purchase of assets by companies, mergers & acquisitions including company spin off and establishment, competition law, joint ventures, inward and outward bound investment and finance, risk control and management.

In Litigation and ADR, Senior Counsel Akide and his team have acted for high net worth clients including corporates and individuals in numerous proceedings in all courts and tribunals including constitutional petitions, judicial review matters, and Election petitions. The firm has also advised and represented clients in ADR matters including Arbitration and Mediation. Most of the firm’s legal team are qualified arbitrators with Senior Counsel Akide being a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) Kenyan Chapter. The firm has also assisted in instituting and prosecuting several public interest litigation matters as part of their pro bono legal practice.

Seasoned Corporate Leader and Public Servant

Senior Counsel Akide also has wide experience and perspective in several legal areas serving as the board member of various public institutions. Previously he served as a Member of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), National Council on the Administrative Justice, Public Complaints Committee under the National Environmental Management Authority, Insurance Advisory Board, Insurance Appeals Tribunal, Advisory Council of URAIA Trust, Council of Legal Education and Chairman of the Quality Assurance Committee of the CLE Board.

Senior Counsel Akide graduated from University of Nairobi with an LLB (Hons) Degree and proceeded to Kenya School of Law where he obtained a Diploma in Law. He was admitted to the bar in 1996 and has remained an active member of the Law Society of Kenya in good standing. He represented the Law Society of Kenya in Workshops and Symposia on various fields of law during his tenure. He has attended several courses in law and International Commercial Arbitration, both locally and abroad. In addition, he is a Member of Institute of Certified Secretaries (ICS), East African Law Society and International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) Kenya.

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Top Lawyer | Kenya Podcast, Episode 5: Dr. Wilfred Mutubwa, Dr. Mutubwa Law Advocates

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Dr. Wilfred A.  Mutubwa is a Chartered Arbitrator (C. Arb) and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb); Chairman Emeritus of the CIArb- Kenya Branch and African Arbitration Association’s African Arbitrator and ADR Practitioner of the Year 2023. He is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya in good standing with a post-Admission experience of 18 years.  He holds LL.B (Honours) and LL.M Degrees and LL.D focusing on International Economic Law from the University of South Africa. His research focuses on Trade and Investment Dispute Resolution systems in African regionalism and integration efforts.  He also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law; a Post Graduate Diploma in Arbitration (CIArb –UK); and a Post Graduate Diploma in International Arbitration from the Africa Arbitration Academy.  He is an Accredited Mediator by CIArb–UK and the Court Annexed Mediation Programme (CAMP) of the Kenyan Judiciary.

He is the founding Principal at Dr. Mutubwa Law Advocates; he is a senior Lecturer and Dean of the School of Law, Mt. Kenya University. He is also a course Director and Tutor in Arbitration and Mediation at CIArb-UK. He previously taught Commercial Transactions at the Kenya School of Law and Riara University.

He was recently appointed as one of the Court Members Representing the Republic of Kenya to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, the leading treaty arbitration organisation in the world.  He is currently a member of the Task Force appointed by the Chief Justice of the Republic of Kenya on ADR and specifically mandated to roll out Court Annexed Mediation and other forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

He is an Arbitrator listed on London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA); Mauritius International Arbitration Centre (MIAC); the Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration (NCIA); the Kigali International Centre for International Arbitration; the African Arbitration Association (AAA); and the CIArb President’s Panels. He also serves on the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA) and Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) international Arbitration Panels. He is a fellow of the Africa Arbitration Academy.

In 2021 he was appointed by the President of the Republic of Kenya to serve on the KNHR Commission Selection Panel, and by the Chief Justice of Kenya to serve as a Member of the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal. He was conferred with the exemplary recognition of the Order of the Grand Warrior of the Republic of Kenya by the President in the year 2021.

He has experience in over 60 Arbitrations and Mediations, as arbitrator, Mediator and Party Representative. He is currently serving in five investor-state arbitral references at the PCA.  He has published a book, Commercial and Investment Arbitration: An African Perspective; and over 30 Articles on the subject in peer reviewed Journals. During his tenure as the Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Kenya branch, he authored the State of Alternative Dispute Resolution Report (ADR) in Kenya, 2021. He has spoken in numerous conferences and has taught as a guest/visiting Lecturer in various universities including Strathmore University and University of Pretoria.

In 2017, he was recognised by IArb Africa as one of the top 100 Arbitrators in Africa. In 2020 he was named as one of the Top 50 rising Arbitration Personalities in Africa. In 2021 he was named by the Business Daily as one of the top 40 under 40 personalities in Kenya. In December 2022 hew was named top 30 Promising Arbitration Practitioners in Africa by the Africa Arbitration Academy; and ADR Practitioner of the year by the Nairobi Law Society Trust. He was also recognised as the ADR Practitioner of the year in the Nairobi Legal Awards. In October, 2023 The Lawyer Africa recognised him as a Top Arbitrator in Kenya.

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Top Lawyer | Kenya Podcast, Episode 3: Gladys Mwangi, Nderi & Mwangi Advocates

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Gladys Mwangi is a highly skilled Senior Legal Expert and an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya with over 17 years’ experience in providing a wide-range of cost-effective legal services that foster innovative approach in resolution of legal disputes. She specializes in Commercial Law and Family Law, where she offers both litigation and mediation services. In 2023, she was listed as one of TOP 100 LITIGATION IN KENYA IN 2023 for being one of the most distinguished litigators in Kenya.

Gladys is highly regarded as a Disputes Lawyer with a well-earned reputation of resolving complex legal disputes through litigation and mediation in the most efficient manner. She is highly skilled in court documentation and making persuasive arguments in court. She has prosecuted and defended many cases in superior courts, specialized courts and Tribunals in the Republic of Kenya. Recently, Gladys published what has become a popular textbook, Civil Litigation in Kenya, cementing her position as the emerging leading authority in the area.

Gladys is a Partner at Nderi and Mwangi Advocates in Charge of Litigation & Dispute Resolution Department. She is also the founder of Accord Mediation Chambers. She believes that commercial and family disputes can be resolved harmoniously by applying ADR (especially mediation) where litigation is not ideal. Hence, Accord Mediation Chambers compliments the dispute resolution legal services provided by Gladys and her team at Nderi & Mwangi Advocates. In addition, Gladys is very proficient in drafting and reviewing complex and specialized contracts. Gladys is also a trainer and has been engaged to offer bespoke legal training to small groups, corporates and NGOs in Estate Planning, Business Succession Planning and Labour laws.

Aside from her legal practice, Gladys is a respected Law Intellectual and a Lecturer of Law at Kenyatta University School of Law where she has also served as the Deputy Director of Students affairs. She is an active Member of Law Society of Kenya and East African Law Society and has served as a member of the Gender committee which supports society in making policies and driving discussions on matters of gender and law.

Gladys holds Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Nairobi and a Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law. She also holds Master of Laws (LLM) in Law, Governance and Democracy from the University of Nairobi. In addition to being an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, she is a certified and accredited Mediator ( by the Institute of Chartered Mediators & Conciliators (ICMC) and the Judiciary of Kenya), a Certified Secretary (CS) and member of Institute of Certified Secretaries (ICS), a Commissioner for Oaths and Notary Public.

For more information on Gladys Mwangi, her book and services, visit her Website: https://gladysmwangi.com for more.

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Dr. Kariuki Muigua’s 21 Years Journey to Top Arbitrator in Kenya 2023

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The Top Arbitrator in Kenya 2023 Delivered to Dr, Kariuki Muigua, PhD for Excellence in Arbitration

The Top Arbitrator in Kenya 2023, African Arbitrator of the Year 2022 and African ADR Practitioner of the Year 2022 has 21 years as Arbitrator and ADR Practitioner under his belt. This is what informed our award of the Top Arbitrator in Kenya 2023 as a befitting tribute to mark more than two (2) decades of excellence as Arbitrator, Mediator, Adjudicator, Scholar, Mentor, Author, Leader and trendsetter in Arbitration and ADR Practice. Dr. Kariuki Muigua is the second Arbitrator to be declared the Top Arbitrator in Kenya, the first to be to be awarded the Inaugural CIArb Kenya Lifetime Achievement Award and to be declared both the African Arbitrator of the Year and the African ADR Practitioner of the Year and the first East African to become African CIArb Trustee 2019 to 2022 (now emeritus).

Dr. Kariuki Muigua’s ADR career started in 2002 when he took the Special member course in 2002 leading to membership of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb). In the same year, he also became a member of the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) (2002). In these two decades, Dr. Muigua has since consistently and excellently practiced ADR as Arbitrator, Mediator, Scholar, Publisher, Leader and Consultant and earned numerous awards and recognition as a leading ADR Practitioner in Kenya.

Three years after qualifying as Member of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Dr. Kariuki Muigua graduated with Master of Laws (LL.M) in 2005 from the University of Nairobi specializing in Environmental Law, Natural Resource Conflicts and Dispute Resolution especially mediation. He continued to undertake domestic and international commercial arbitrations as well as facilitating training of new members at the CIArb (Kenya).

Dr. Muigua completed Arbitration Module 4 Course leading to Fellowship to the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) in October 2010. He also undertook the Certified Professional in Managing Workplace Conflict from the Mediation Training Institute (International). The following year, on 2nd December 2011, he successfully defended his PhD Thesis titled “Resolving Environmental Conflicts in Kenya through Mediation” at the University of Nairobi on 02/12/2011 focusing on the areas of Public Participation, Mediation and Environmental Democracy. Dr. Muigua graduated with Diploma in Arbitration from the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) in 2012.

In 2012, Dr. Kariuki Muigua was elected Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Kenya branch) where he served for the next 3 years up to 2015 being actively involved in the organization and coordination of the Institute activities and promotion of use the of Alternative Dispute Resolution methods in Kenya. His tenure was pivotal as it marked the constitutional transition period which included efforts to spearhead the mainstreaming of ADR methods into the justice system as envisaged under Article 159 of the Constitution culminating in launch of the Court-Annexed Mediation Pilot in 2015. He was awarded the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Chairman’s medal with a citation for exemplary service in December, 2015.

Dr. Muigua has also served the Council of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Kenya) and as a Member and Past Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on Information Technology (IT) and Member of the Legal Committee of the Institute. He also founded the Alternative Dispute Resolution Journal, the Official Journal of the Chartered Institute of the Arbitrators (Kenya Branch). He is a Member of Kigali International Arbitration Centre (KIAC) International Panel of arbitrators and Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration (NCIA) Panel of International Arbitrators, Panel of Domestic Arbitrators and Panel of Domestic Mediators.

In January 2015, Dr. Muigua was conferred the rank of Chartered Arbitrator, the highest status of an Arbitrator. In the same year, he was also admitted as an Accredited Mediator by the Mediation Training Institute (International). In 2019, he was voted unopposed as the CIARB Regional Trustee for Africa where he represents Africa at the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Board of Trustees which is responsible for all the monies as well as the strategic direction of the Institute. In 2020,  he was appointed by the Attorney General as a member of the National Steering Committee for Formulation of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Policy, 2020 representing the Academia.

Indeed, in September and 2012 he was engaged as a Consultant by Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution and IDLO in preparing a report on the “Framework for the Consolidation and Harmonization of National Policies, Strategies and Legislative Instruments Relating to Access to Justice in Kenya.” In August 2013, he was engaged as a Consultant by the Kenya Land Alliance in preparing a “Review and Analysis of its draft ADR guide and Training Manual with a view to improve on its contents and structure to match the intended use of offering guidance in resolution of land disputes.”

To date, Dr. Kariuki Muigua continues to serve as the Tutor and Assessor at the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators-Kenya where he researches and teaches Alternative Dispute Resolution Methods at all levels. He has published numerous articles and papers on Alternative Dispute Resolution. Dr. Muigua is also the author of the leading books on ADR in Kenya: Resolving Conflicts through Mediation in Kenya (2013) and Settling Disputes through Arbitration in Kenya, the Edition (2022) which are available for free download in Kariuki Muigua & Co. Advocates as part of Social Responsibility and mentorship to upcoming Arbitrators.

Importantly, Dr. Kariuki Muigua has been ranked among the top 10 arbitrators in Kenya for the last five (5) years in a row by the prestigious Chambers & Partners Lawyers Directory as having “an astute understanding of arbitration and mediation” and being at the forefront of ADR in Kenya. In 2021, he scooped the three top ADR Award in Kenya, namely, CIArb (Kenya) Lifetime Achievement Award, Law Society of Kenya ADR Practitioner of the Year Award and ADR Publisher of the Year Award. Thus, as he commemorates 20 years of ADR Practice, Dr. Kariuki Muigua has clearly earned the reputation and respect of his peers as a leading ADR Practitioner in Kenya and across Africa. In 2023, Dr. Kariuki Muigua was nominated by the Republic of Kenya as a Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

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