Our People

Austine Kitinya- (Bcom (UoN), MCIPS (UK)

Managing Partner and Head of Procurement & Employment Law Practice

Credentials

Kitinya is an incisive, forward thinking heart-based leader with a wealth of experience in Strategy formulation and execution that cements his legal and business acumen. He is a top notch global contracts & procurement expert with unrivaled expertise in transacting and negotiating multi-billion shillings complex commercial contracts across the globe.

Besides his legal qualifications, Kitinya holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from the University of Nairobi, a Professional Diploma in Procurement & Supply from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (MCIPS), and Certified Public Accountancy certificate from KASNEB.

At Bond Advocates LLP, in addition to being the Managing Partner, Kitinya heads and focuses on Procurement Law & Practice; Contracts & Commercial Transactions; Employment & Labour Relations as well as Tax Law. His other practice areas include Litigation & Alternative Dispute Resolution; Building Construction; Public Private Partnerships; Project Finance; Medico-Legal; Aviation Law; Constitutional Law and Governance.

Kitinya’s legal and commercial acumen emanates from his previous assignments in various organizations, including Kitinya & Company Advocates (Managing Partner), Lumumba & Ayieko Advocates (Partner), Kenya Airways PLC (Senior Manager- Contracts & Procurement), The Karen Hospital (Head of Contracts/SCM, as well as Barclays Bank of Kenya (currently Absa Kenya).

Career highlights

• Successfully litigated and defended numerous Public Procurement causes at the Kenyan Courts.
• Successfully litigated and defended several employment and labour disputes.
• Resolved several commercial/ contractual, employment, family and personal disputes.
• Successfully negotiated and concluded numerous highly complex, high value contracts and procurements in the US, UK, Rest of Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and many African countries.
• Acted as Project Manager and Lead Procurement & Commercial Contracts Negotiator in a multi-billion shilling Nairobi-New York Route Start-Up project and several other projects for a leading African airline.

Membership in Professional Bodies
Kitinya’s memberships include:

• Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (MCIPS-UK),
• Law Society of Kenya (LSK),
• East Africa Law Society (EALS),
• Kenya Institute of Supplies Management (KISM), and
• Public Procurement Bar-Bench Committee representing Law Society of Kenya – Nairobi Branch.

Barbara Kwang’a

Deputy Managing Partner

Credentials

Barbara has extensive knowledge in commercial litigation and arbitration. She is a Certified Professional Mediator and an alumnus of the Trial Advocacy Training Institute, Nairobi. Barbara is finalizing her Master of Law (Law in Governance and Democracy) studies at the University of Nairobi. Barbara has a wealth of experience obtained from Senior Counsel Okongo Omogeni Advocates, Senior Counsel Fred Ngatia & Associates, and McKay Advocates.

Career highlights

• 2nd Runners Up, Young Lawyer of the Year, Nairobi Legal Awards, 2023
• Solely appeared for Professor Yaniv Roznai and Prof Richard Albert (the foremost global experts on limits to constitutional amendment) as Amicus Curiae at the Supreme Court of Kenya in the BBI appeals. The amicus brief contributed to a landmark decision on the process of constitutional amendment.
• Represented a state corporation in an arbitration concerning the repudiation of a USD 16,274,384.70 turnkey housing contract because the procurement process was flawed and material changes were made to the contract late in the day.
• Appeared for an international company in a Kshs 1, 219, 192, 946.00 tax dispute at the Tax Appeals Tribunal.
• Challenged a garnishee order absolute attaching pensioners funds amounting to Ksh 471,000,000/- contrary to Section 13 of the Pensions Act and Section 36 of the Retirement Benefits Act, 2018.
• Appeared at the Supreme Court of Kenya for the Law Society of Kenya as Amicus Curiae in a Reference seeking advisory opinion on how to approve a Constitutional Amendment Bill initiated through a popular initiative. Though the Reference was not heard to finality, the submissions contributed to the success of the Petitions before the High Court challenging the BBI Bill.
• Represented the Law Society of Kenya in an application seeking leave to conduct the LSK’s Annual General Meeting virtually. Successfully obtained the orders for the first ever LSK Annual General Meeting to be held virtually on 23rd July, 2020.

Membership in professional societies

• East Africa Law Society
• Law Society of Kenya
• Human Rights and Public Interest Litigation Committee, LSK

Ochiel Dudley

Head of Dispute Resolution

Credentials

Ochiel Dudley is the ICJ-Kenya Jurist of the Year, 2024. He is a Supreme Court of Kenya regular with many landmark wins. He has developed appellate advocacy expertise by arguing 50+ Supreme Court cases.

Ochiel is a Master of Laws (Law Governance and Democracy) from the University of Nairobi. He holds a certificate in Constitution Building in Africa (Central European University, Budapest, Hungary) and a certificate in Policy Formulation and Legislative Drafting (MTI, Nairobi).

He is a trial expert and an alumnus of the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (US) and the Inns of Court College of Advocacy (UK). He is a trainer of trainers in the art of Trial Advocacy. Ochiel Dudley is also a Certified Professional Mediator and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Ochiel Dudley is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers.

Ochiel Dudley sits on the National Council for Law Reporting (Kenya Law) Board.

At Bond Advocates LLP, Ochiel Dudley focuses on constitutional and judicial review law, family law, digital rights, employment law, and arbitration.

Ochiel Dudley was formerly a Senior Litigation Counsel where he conducted monumental public interest litigation. He is the Law Society of Kenya 2018 PIL/Pro Bono Jurist of the Year Award Winner. Ochiel Dudley is ranked in the 2024 Litigation Hall of Fame by the The Lawyer Africa.

Membership in Professional Bodies

Ochiel’s active memberships include:

• Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
• International Society for Public Law (ICON-S)
• Environmental Lawyers Alliance Worldwide (ELAW)
• International Lawyers Assisting Workers Network (ILAW Network)
• African Network of Constitutional Lawyers (ANCL)
• International Commission of Jurists (ICJ, Kenya)
• Cartoonists’ Legal Advisory Network (CRNI)
• Legal Empowerment Network (NAMATI).
• Media Legal Defence Initiative (Media Defence) lawyers’ network
• Data Privacy and Governance Society of Kenya.
• International Trademark Association (INTA)
• Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI) licensed patent agents
• International Academy of Family Lawyers

Career highlights

• 2nd Runners Up, Litigation Practitioner of the Year, Nairobi Legal Awards, 2023
• Obtained favourable orders prohibiting adverse regulator action against six TV Kenyan stations censured for their live broadcast of political events
• Led the team appearing for the International Commission of Jurists as Amicus in the 2022 Kenyan Presidential Election Petition.
• Conducted the trial of a landmark environmental challenging the construction of a USD 2 billion coal-fired power plant at a UNESCO World Heritage site in Kwasasi, on the shoreline of Manda Bay, Lamu, Kenya.
• Prevailed in two Supreme Court arguments to compensate 6,000 evicted residents of two Nairobi informal settlements.
• Advised multiple film-makers on navigating the movie and film classification landscape in Kenya argued the Rafiki film case and obtained orders which enabled the film to be played for a week in Kenya hence qualify for the global Oscars Awards.
• Struck down, across the years, five pieces of legislation limiting the right to freedom of expression in Kenya through offences like sending offensive messages, criminal defamation, sedition.
• Successfully litigated data privacy concerns in the USD 78.6 million Huduma Namba digitial identity project.
• Defended a state corporation manager from prosecution for claims that the USD 13 million 1.7 Kisumu Oil Jetty project was unplanned and payments unapproved.
• Argued 30+ Supreme Court and 100+ Court of Appeal cases hence developing expertise in appellate advocacy

Njoki Ngari

Head of Family Law and Private Client Practice

Credentials
Njoki is an experienced family lawyer who specializes on all aspects of family law litigation. As a result of her mediation training and skills, she further prides herself in helping families solve family related disputes without litigation.

In addition to her legal qualifications, Njoki holds a Masters degree in International Relations with a concetration on peace and conflict studies from the United States International University Africa. She is certified professional mediator and an associate arbitrator.

Njoki is a partner and head of the Family Division at Bond Advocates LLP.

At Bond Advocates LLP, Njoki focus is on Family law; Succession- probate and administration; Divorce; Child Custody and maintenance; extension of parental responsibility; marriage registration, adoption and surrogacy

Njoki has a wealth of experience on devolution laws having worked as a legal advisor at one of the County Governments of Kenya immediately after formation of County Governments.

She is also gender equality advocate with an interest in the rights of minorities and marginalized groups. She has undergone trainings on Refugee law and strategic litigation on sexual violence.

Career highlights

• Successfully represented hundreds of clients in probate and administration matters, burial disputes, adoption, children custody, maintenance and extension of parental responsibility and divorce suits.
• Successfully mediated and negotiated succession cases for estates valued for over Kshs. 100, 000, 000
• Successfully represented clients on Criminal Appeals
• Formed part of the team appearing for Governors, Members of parliament and County Assembly representatives in election petitions.
• Formed part of the team appearing in impeachment proceedings that brought up the contentious issue of public participation in impeachment.
• Providing legal advisory on existing policy review and development for County Governments.
• Formed part of team tasked with negotiating, preparation of MOU’s and contracts between County Governments and investors.
• Successfully helped clients prepare report and briefs for Senate Committee hearings

Membership in Professional Bodies
Njoki’s memberships include:

• Law Society of Kenya (LSK)
• Mediation Training Institute (MTI) East Africa
• Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
• Child Law Practitioners Committee of the Law Society of Kenya
• Amnesty International Kenya
• FIDA Kenya

Jaqueline Wamai

Consultant

Jaqueline Wamai is an Advocate and employment law specialist. She holds a Masters Degree in Labour Policies and Globalisation from the Berlin School of Economics and Law. She has extensive obtained from working within the labour movement in Kenya and as Regional Coordinator for the International Lawyers Assisting Workers (ILAW). Wamae has advised clients globally on different aspects of international labour law.

Chepkorir Sambu

Senior Associate

Faith Chepkorir Sambu holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) degree from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. She specialises in international negotiation & conflict resolution besides international legal studies. Chepkorir holds a Bachelors degree from the University of Nairobi and a post-graduate diploma at the Kenya School of Law, and is a member of the Law Society of Kenya.

At Bond Advocates LLP, Chepkorir is senior associate within the advisory and consultancy department specializing in public sector consultancies and research. She also practices human rights law, international negotiations, and mediation.

Her active memberships include the American Society of International Law.

Morgan Muinde

Associate

Morgan is an associate within the litigation and dispute resolution department. His areas of specialty are commercial litigation, criminal defense, and employment disputes.