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Faith M. Macharia: A Leading Dispute Resolution Lawyer in East Africa

If Kioo case confirmed Faith Macharia as one of the most versatile next-generation commercial litigation lawyers in East Africa, her latest win annulling the implementation of the Minimum Tax proves she is determined to sustain the momentum.

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Faith M. Macharia, Partner ALN Kenya | Anjarawalla & Khanna

In the last year alone, Faith Macharia and the Anjarwalla and Khanna Litigation and Dispute Resolution Team have registered wins of gigantic magnitude whose impact has been felt across Africa and beyond and made much difference to the commercial interests of their clients. Two major cases stand out above all as confirmation that the A&K Dispute Resolution Team more than deserves the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Award 2021 it was recently awarded at the African Legal Awards: Kioo Case (East African Case) and the Minimum Tax Case (Kenyan Case). The common threads in these two precedent setting cases is Faith Macharia’s role as lead counsel or lead co-counsel and how the Anjarwalla & Khanna Team innovated to deliver these wins against all odds.

The Kioo Case (Kioo Limited v. Attorney General of the Republic of Kenya), which featured in the Anjarwalla & Khanna Litigation and Dispute Resolution Award citation, was a reference filed at East African Court of Justice (EACJ) on behalf of the Tanzanian glass manufacturer challenging the introduction of a 25 per cent excise duty on imported glass by Government of Kenya. Faith and the A & K Team argued on behalf of Kioo Ltd that since the Excise Duty Act does not grant exemptions to goods imported into Kenya from the EAC Partner States, the new excise rate of 25% was discriminatory as it will apply to glass imported into Kenya from Tanzania and other Partner States and inhibited the free movement of goods as envisaged in the spirit of the EAC Treaty, the Customs Union Protocol and the Common Market Protocol.

“The result is that the price of glass bottles exported into Kenya by Tanzania has become more expensive than locally manufactured glass in Kenya and therefore Kenyan companies have reduced their glass demands/imports from Tanzania… and are likely to stop importing glass from Tanzania and any other glass bottle manufacturers within the EAC Partner states,” argued Anjarwalla & Khanna on behalf of Kioo. In the end, Faith Macharia and the A&K team succeeded in obtaining the much-needed interim orders in favour of Kioo Limited with EACJ halting the implementation of the 25 percent excise duty on imported glass bottles into Kenya from the other East Africa Community (EAC). The decision has immensely impacted many businesses within the six (6) EAC members’ states importing glass and glass bottles into Kenya.

If Kioo case confirmed Faith Macharia as one of the most versatile next-generation commercial litigation lawyers in East Africa, her latest win annulling the implementation of the Minimum Tax goes to prove she is determined to sustain that momentum going into the future. Faith, acting on behalf of Kenya Association of Manufacturers and others petitioners, was part of the team of lawyers who successfully petitioned and convinced the High court of Kenya to declare the minimum tax unconstitutional. They were able to convince Justice George Odunga, as he noted in the Judgement: “It results in diminishing capital for those making losses, while for those making profits the capital base is unaffected.” This is just one of the many career defining litigation and arbitration wins Faith Macharia has under her belt.

In the 2021 Edition of The Legal 500, Faith Macharia has been ranked as a Next Generation Partner in Employment Law Practice and as a Key lawyer in Dispute Resolution in Kenya. One of the leading corporate decision makers quoted by The Legal 500 said: ‘Faith Macharia has unique legal capabilities. Her ability to grasp issues and argue them out in court is beyond any experience I have come across.’ Another one added: ‘We have been especially impressed with Faith Macharia and her demonstrable commitment to excellence and attention placed on assisting us to achieve our objectives.’ The Legal 500 added that “Faith Macharia is an up-and-coming name in employment disputes.” Chambers & Partners ranks Faith as a lawyer to watch in dispute resolution in Kenya and one who has “very good insights and is always on top of facts and strategy.”

Faith has been at Anjarwalla & Khanna for almost a decade having joined the firm as an Associate in 2012. She was promoted to A&K Partner in the A&K Dispute Resolution Department in January 2020 and is part of the Award-Winning and Africa’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Champions of the Year. She is involved in representing the A&K’s clients in domestic, regional, and international forums including lower and superior courts, judicial and quasi-judicial tribunals and arbitration and other forums. She handles diverse matters including complex commercial disputes, trade disputes, employment disputes, shareholders’ disputes, land disputes, tax disputes and enforcement proceedings of local and international arbitral awards in Kenya.

Faith has built a strong reputation acting for clients in international arbitration and is a co–author of the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th editions of the International Arbitration Review, Kenyan Chapter. In 2016, she was seconded to Stephenson Harwood, one of the world’s leading commercial litigation and international arbitration law firms, to broaden her perspective in International Arbitration. She has been a panelist on arbitration topics in the region in numerous forums including the 2016 and 2020 East Africa International Arbitration Conference.

In addition, she has a well-earned reputation as Anti-Corruption Law Expert having served as member of the Technical Committee on drafting Regulations and Guidelines under the Bribery Act in Kenya. She is the co–author of the Kenyan Chapter of the 2018 Chambers Anti-Corruption Global Practice Guide. Recently, she advised a large multinational in connection with anti-bribery allegations against the senior management of its affiliate company in Kenya on the Kenyan anti-bribery laws. She also acted for a client together with White and Case, the New York-based global law firm, in connection with bribery allegations in Kenya.

Faith is an Advocate of over 11 years’ post-admission standing in Kenyan bar. In 2020, she was nominated by the Law Society of Kenya, Nairobi Branch under two separate categories, Best lawyer of the Year and Pupil Master of the Year, 2020. Faith is also one of the 11 member of the Law Society of Kenya Committee on Law Reform, Devolution and Constitutional Implementation. She holds an LLB (2nd Class Honours, Upper Division) from University of Nairobi and a Diploma in Law from Kenya School of Law. She is a member of the Africa Legal Network (ALN), Law Society of Kenya and East African Law Society.

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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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.

References

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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