LEGAL PLUS HOLDS 1st AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION AND ADR
SUMMIT IN NAIROBI

The inaugural Africa International Arbitration & ADR Summit, hosted by Legal Plus in partnership with the Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration (NCIA), was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Upper Hill, Nairobi on Thursday 18th September 2025 , an event that marked a defining moment for Africa’s dispute resolution landscape.

The summit opened on a solemn note with NCIA Registrar and CEO Dr. Henry Kinyanjui Murigi leading delegates in honoring two towering figures of the ADR fraternity namely Mr. Mathew Kyalo Mbobu and Justice Fred Ochieng whose passing left the arbitration community deeply shaken. A moment of silence captured the collective grief, respect, and gratitude for their immense contributions.
Yet even in mourning, the summit’s purpose rang clear, to reflect, to innovate, and to chart Africa’s course in the global arbitration arena.
Welcoming participants from across the continent and beyond, Dr. Murigi emphasized that Africa stands on the cusp of an economic and legal transformation. With six of the world’s ten fastest-growing economies, and foreign direct investment surging to USD 97 billion in 2024, he noted that the continent is increasingly a center of commercial dynamism.

‘’The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which is projected to expand intra-African trade by up to 50% and spur investments exceeding USD 60 billion annually—is reshaping the landscape of cross-border commerce. Kenya itself continues to shine as East Africa’s commercial hub, attracting over USD 1.5 billion in yearly FDI’’ observed Dr. Murigi.

Such rapid growth, Dr. Murigi noted, inevitably brings complex disputes. It is here that arbitration and ADR claim their place—not merely as tools of resolution, but as pillars of predictability, trust, and fairness on which sustainable investment depends.
The editorial tone of Dr. Murigi’s address was unmistakable as he drew from the philosophical wells of Kant, Aristotle, and John Rawls to illustrate ADR’s deeper value. He noted that Kant’s universality underscores the need for consistent, predictable justice, while Aristotle’s doctrine of trust highlights ADR’s role in fostering cooperation concluding by observing that Rawls’ fairness speaks to the creation of just institutions.
As Prof. Kariuki Muigua has often argued, ADR transforms justice from a distant aspiration into a lived expectation—one built through transparency and dialogue.
He noted that Kenya’s evolving experience in international investment arbitration continues to feature prominently with a robust community of practitioners among them Prof. Githu Muigai, Kamau Karori, and Noella Lubano. ’’The country has embraced innovative and balanced approaches to investor–state disputes’’ he noted. He observed that the NCIA’s record was equally compelling with the Centre having administered over 150 disputes valued at more than KES 16 billion, spanning construction, energy, finance, and commercial sectors. These figures he noted reflected the growing confidence in Nairobi as an emerging arbitration hub.

Dr. Murigi outlined NCIA’s recent milestones that include strengthened institutional capacity and international accreditation, expanded panels of neutrals, increased regional and global partnerships, a vibrant calendar of training programmes and stakeholder engagements and lastly collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General on a forthcoming colloquium examining Kenya’s investment arbitration trajectory

He noted that the Centre was also deeply involved in implementing the National ADR Policy (Sessional Paper No. 4 of 2024), which seeks to modernize and harmonize ADR across Kenya’s justice system. The most forward-looking segment of the summit was the discussion on technology. Dr. Murigi clarified that AI will not replace human judgement but will elevate it, adding that for Africa, AI promises among other things data-driven decision support, institutional transparency, stronger global linkages and more efficient administration of complex disputes adding that far from the margins, Africa was fast becoming a protagonist in the future of international arbitration.

A Call to Engage, Reflect, and Connect
The summit’s agenda spans investor-state arbitration, enforcement of awards,cultural dynamics, corporate fraud, ESG compliance, and more issues defining the next chapter of African dispute resolution.

As Dr. Murigi closed his remarks, he urged delegates to embrace the three Ps of Nairobi namely the People who he noted were dynamic professionals, world renowned marathoners, and warm hospitality, Places – including national parks and
unique landscapes, including Nairobi’s iconic city-with-a-wildlife-park and Presents- which include tokens of Kenya’s rich cultural heritage.

His final words captured the spirit of the gathering: “Engage fully, share boldly, and network meaningfully as we work together to build a more resilient dispute resolution landscape for Africa and the world.”

The 1st African International Arbitration & ADR Summit has set the tone for a future where Africa leads—not follows—in shaping global dispute resolution standards.