Githu Muigai, two top lawyers make Africa award list

Senior Counsel Prof Githu Muigai at the Supreme Court during the hearing of the presidential election petition on August 31, 2022. PHOTO | DENNIS ONSONGO | NMG

Three Kenyan senior lawyers have been shortlisted for the African Arbitrator of the Year award, which honours counsels who have contributed to the development of arbitration in the continent.

Senior counsel Githu Muigai, Kamau Karori and John Ohaga will battle it out for the top honours in the awards, which was started in 2019.

The Africa Arbitration Awards was incorporated in 2019 to celebrate the region’s arbitration professionals. The awards are hosted by the East Africa International Arbitration, the premier arbitration award for the region.

While announcing this year’s shortlist, the judges who are made up of registrars of Africa’s arbitration centres said: “We are honoured to announce this shortlist of arbitrators and organisations who have consistently gone above and beyond in the arbitration profession.”

The final winner in each category will be decided by a round of online voting by the arbitration community in Africa.

The voting opened on August 9 and closes on August 23. The winners will be announced on August 25, in Zanzibar.

Arbitration is provided for in Article 159 of the Constitution and has been gaining ground as a form of alternative dispute resolution.

The shortlisted nominees for the Young Arbitrator of the Year category are Jacqueline Kapinga senior associate at Rex Attorneys (Tanzania), Leyla Ahmed, an associate at TripleOKLaw (Kenya) and Thokwadi Seabela, associate partner at Motsoeneng Bill Attorneys (South Africa).

Africa in the moot and Herbert Smith Freehills are the only nominees shortlisted in the Innovation in Arbitration Category.

Those shortlisted for the leading service provider in arbitration include CIArb Kenya, Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration and Resolve International Consultancy.

AAA says an outstanding achievement will be considered as one which has made a positive impact and contributed to the development of arbitration or ADR, including helping to inspire young practitioners in arbitration among others.

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