A Nairobi-based lawyer has made history after being appointed as the chairperson of an international legal body that was granted a royal charter by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1979.
In a statement by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) on Wednesday, February 9, it was announced that Noreen Kidunduhu had been appointed as the chairperson of the steering committee for the Young Members Group (YMG) of the body.
The body of arbitrators stated that the Kenyan lawyer who specialises in energy law was an experienced advocate and would be deputised by a Brazilian national.
“The YMG is delighted to announce that Noreen Kidunduhu and Ana Gerdau de Borja Mercereau have been appointed Chair and Vice-Chair of CIArb YMG’s Global Steering Committee.
"The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators’ (CIArb) Young Members Group (YMG) brings together dispute resolution practitioners below the age of 40,” read the statement
Kidunduhu is a graduate of the University of Dundee, Scotland and holds a Master's degree in International Energy Law, and has also served the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) in various capacities.
“Since her admission to the Kenyan bar, she has been a member of the Law Society of Kenya’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Committee and in 2020 she led the Committee in developing the draft Law Society of Kenya Arbitration Rules, 2020.
“She routinely represents clients in both institutional and ad hoc arbitrations under a wide variety of arbitral rules and has also appeared in numerous court matters related to arbitrations," read the statement in part.
After her appointment, the Nairobi-based lawyer took to social media to thank ClArb for believing in her leadership.
"Delighted to be the first African appointee to the CIArb YMG Global Steering Committee Chairperson ship and to shepherd the most regionally diverse and inclusive Committee in history.
"We have a pipeline of interactive programs and projects for our members to deepen their understanding of ADR, hone their skills and network. I look forward to a dynamic and interactive YMG that caters to our members’ priorities and specialisms," she stated.
Consequently, various online users including the Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) at the Ministry of ICT, Nadia Abdalla, congratulated Kidunduhu on her achievement.
CIArb has a membership of over 17,000 legal professionals drawn from 149 countries around the world.
