Message from the Chairman’s Desk

Distinguished members of the Board, Institute and Secretariat,

I am delighted to have had the opportunity to serve you all and in the first instance I take this opportunity to welcome all the new and prospective members to CIARB Kenya.

The past 3 months have been a whirlwind of activity so allow me to single out the CIARB International Arbitration in Diani at the end of July 2023 which was graced by H.E. The Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, the CIARB Global Vice President Prof Mohamed Wahab and the CIARB Africa Trustee Dr. Chikwendu Madumere during which our members and partners not only engaged in exciting discussions revolving contemporary, evolving and emerging issues within the Arbitration and ADR space but also enjoyed the world famous white sandy beaches of Watamu. August 2023 saw us cross the border to Zanzibar to celebrate the 10th East African International Arbitration Conference where our members and Institute excelled and we all had the opportunity to interact and network with the African Arbitration and ADR community. Special recognition goes out to you all for being crowned the 2nd Runner Up African Arbitral Institution and our icons, SC Prof. Githu Muigai C.Arb/F.CIArb, SC John Ohaga C.Arb/F.CIArb and SC Kamau Karori C.Arb/F.CIArb who in typical Kenyan fashion delivered a hattrick Arbitrator of the Year Award Category. Leyla Ahmed F.CIArb also emerged 1st Runners Up in the Young Arbitrator Category.

Since June 2023 we have had wonderful, enriching and very promising engagements with our partners and peer institutions as catalogued in this edition of eSplash and these have resulted in exciting Webinars with the Law Society of Kenya and Peer Institutions in the Built Environment Industry. We have also made preliminary steps to engage with the Insurance Sector as as well. In addition to this we have planned several pathway and non-pathway training programs in the months of October and November 2023 for both the private and public sectors and you are invited to participate.

Our academics continue to impress with the CIARB ADR Journal led by its Editor in Chief Dr. Kariuki Muigua C.Arb/FCIArb and we are looking forward to enhance the scope of our Research and Publication complement.

In addition to this do note that the final quarter of the year boasts the 2nd CIARB Mediation Conference, the Built Environment Conference, the Status of ADR and CIARB Arbitration & ADR Awards as a prelude to usher in the 40th anniversary of the establishment of CIARB in Kenya.

I thank you all for your overwhelming support thus far and look forward to many more exciting engagements in the very near future.

Jacqueline Waihenya C.Arb/FCIArb

Chairman CIARB Kenya

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ROUNDTABLE REPORT: Alternative Dispute Resolution for Small and Medium Enterprises in Kenya

1. Background and Context  Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) form the backbone of Kenya’s economy,  contributing approximately 33% of GDP and employing over 80% of the workforce outside  the agricultural sector. Despite this significance, SMEs remain disproportionately exposed  to commercial disputes that are costly, protracted, and frequently unresolved through  formal judicial channels.  The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Ciarb) Kenya Branch convened a multi-stakeholder  roundtable to interrogate the landscape of dispute resolution for SMEs, assess the efficacy  of existing mechanisms, and identify entry points for scalable Alternative Dispute  Resolution (ADR) interventions. The roundtable convened representatives from the Micro  and Small Enterprise Authority (MSEA), the Judiciary, the Kenya National Chamber of  Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), the financial sector, the insurance industry, and the  youth entrepreneurship ecosystem.  This report summarises the deliberations and perspectives presented by each  stakeholder group, and distills shared conclusions, identified gaps, and proposed areas of  partnership.  2. Micro and Small Enterprise Authority (MSEA) â€” Perspective  Presenters: Maureen Gachogo- Registrar.                       :Agnes Thiong’o- Senior legal officer.  2.1 Nature and Typology of Disputes in the SME Sector  MSEA’s frontline engagement with the SME ecosystem reveals that disputes within this  sector are diverse in character and frequently multi-layered. The Authority identified three  principal categories of disputes commonly encountered:  •Governance disputes: These arise within SME structures, particularly cooperatives,  chamas, and registered business associations, where disagreements over  leadership, profit-sharing, decision-making authority, and member obligations  create internal fractures. Such disputes, if unresolved, often result in enterprise  dissolution or significant productive loss.  •Resource disputes â€“ Land use: A recurring category of disputes involves access to  and use of land for business operations. These disputes frequently involve 

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