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3rd year law students, undertaking the Alternative Dispute Resolution class, at the Strathmore Law School had the chance to put their knowledge into practice through the Mediation Moot. The Mediation Moot was a simulation of a fictitious case. The students, who were acting as parties to the dispute, had the opportunity to interact with mediators from SDRC. The SDRC mediators mediated the fictitious cases and gave feedback to the students concerning their roles in the mediation moot. This included, how to work together with other parties during a mediation and how to convey their interests to the mediator, skills that the students had been taught during their Alternative Dispute Resolution Class.

I found the mediation moot really interesting as it was a way of putting into practice the theory we had learnt in class. It is a different experience just practical exercising what you have been taught.

The 2nd Edition of the Mediation Case Workshop was held on the 2nd of August 2018 at Strathmore University. This workshop was unique as there was an open session by Prof. Daniel Dana, Founder of Mediation Training Institute, USA. Prof Dana made a presentation of the Promise of Mediation and later interacted with the participants present.

The Mediators then discussed the mediation case scenario that had been presented to them prior to the session. During the workshop, participants presented their proposed solutions to the case “Six Siblings”. At the end of the session, the facilitator gave feedback on the suggested response the mediator could have given in the scenario. 

The session was also an opportunity for mediators to network and share experiences.

SDRC hosted the Mediation Conference from the 25th – 27th of July 2018 in partnership with Dispute and Conflict Resolution International. The conference was the first of its kind in Kenya, gathering mediators from different areas to discuss the future of mediation in Kenya. The Conference was themed, “Mediation for Development”.

The Conference was graced with high level guests including Hon. David Kenani Maraga, Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court of Kenya, H.E Prof. Kivutha Kibwana, Governor Makueni County, Mr. Kennedy Ogeto, Solicitor General of Kenya, Hon Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, Justice Jacqueline Kamau, Justice Lydia Awino Achode and Justice Lee Muthoga among others.

The conference ended with a resolve by mediators to formulate the guidelines for the practice of mediation in Kenya.

The 2018 Mediation Training and Accreditation Program was held from the 20th to the 26th of June 2018. The program had participation with people from different sectors, an indication that more people are more open to mediation. The 2018 training saw psychologists, government practitioners, lecturers, lawyers, business owners, entrepreneurs, risk and financial services consultants and human resource persons taking part in the training to become accredited mediators.

The training also had practitioners in the field of mediation interacting with the participants. These practitioners included Mr. Anthony Gross, Rtd. Justice Joyce Aluoch, Ms. Jackie Oyuyo Githinji, Mr. Cavin Opiyo, Mr. Justin Rapando and Dr. Edward Mungai.

 

Class of 2018: Mediation Training and Accreditation Program with their instructors.

The 1st Edition of the Mediation Case Workshop was held on the 3rd of May 2018 at Strathmore University. The Mediation Case workshop is an opportunity for mediators to sharpen their knowledge in the field of mediation. Prior to the session, participants were required to prepare a 10-line response to a mediation case scenario, “A Literal Dilemma”. During the workshop, participants presented their proposed solutions. At the end of the session, the facilitator gave feedback on the suggested response the mediator could have given in the scenario. 

The session was also an opportunity for mediators to network and share experiences.

Hon. Lady Justice Jacqueline Kamau delivered a public lecture on ADR in the Judicial System on the 17th of April 2018 at the Strathmore University. Hon. Lady Justice Kamau is a chartered arbitrator and an accredited mediator. She is also a member of the Integrated Court Management Committee that is charged with the responsibility of automating the Kenya Judiciary and that of the Mediation Committee which came up with the Mediation Rules with a view to piloting Court-mandated mediation in the Family and Commercial and Admiralty Divisions of the High Court of Kenya before the project is rolled in all other courts in Kenya. Hon. Lady Justice Kamau, with her vast experience in ADR and in the judiciary was thus best placed to give this lecture on the intersection of ADR and the Judiciary. Drawing on her experience in both the judiciary and in ADR, Justice Kamau emphasized the need to have ADR and the judiciary complementing each other.  

The lecture, which was organized by the Strathmore Dispute Resolution Centre, saw the attendance of mediators and practitioners in the field of mediation, representations from academia and students.