Justice Steven Gatembu Kairu is a judge of the Court of Appeal.
He was named by President of the Appellate Court Justice Daniel Musinga as one of the seven judges who will hear the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) case from June 29 to July 2, 2021.
Justice Gatembu is a well known and respected name within the corridors of justice. He has ruled in a number of major cases in the country.
As an Arbitrator, he has adjudicated upon numerous disputes between parties and rendered Awards and has been trained as a trainer of trainers in Alternative Dispute Resolution by the Centre for African Peace and Conflict Resolution, California State University California USA.
Background
He was born on July 20, 1960 in Kiawairegi, Murang’a County. He was born to Mzee Edward Kairu Kinya.
Mzee Kinya passed away in 2019, and was laid to rest in August that year in a service attended by former Chief Justice David Maraga alongside a number of judges.
Education
Justice Gatembu attended the University of Nairobi where he graduated from with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree.
He later joined Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA for his Masters of Laws, (LL.M) in Banking Law.
Justice Gatembu holds a Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law in Nairobi.
Career
From 1985 to 1986, he worked as a legal assistant at Hamilton Harrison & Mathews Advocates which was based in Nairobi.
He served as a trial Lawyer in Banking Law Section, Court Department, Banking, Civil Litigation, enforcement of statutory and non-statutory remedies and commercial law.
Between 1986 to 1993, he was an associate at Kimani Kairu & Company Advocates in Nairobi. He served as a trial Lawyer, Civil Litigation in the Court of Appeal, High Court and Subordinate Courts.
In 1993, he moved on to become a partner at Kairu & McCourt Advocates based in Nairobi. He undertook Civil Litigation in the High Court and the subordinates courts and the Court of Appeal as well as Arbitration Proceedings in banking, commercial insurance las and arbitration.
Justice Gatembu has been a lecturer at the University of Nairobi, Commercial Law Department, Faculty of Law.
He has taught Alternative Dispute Resolution (including negotiation mediation and Arbitration) and supervision of Dissertations, Civil Procedure and Practice, Banking Law, Law of Torts, Law of International Institutions HIV/Aids and the Law.
Major Rulings
Justice Gatembu has in the course of his career deliberated in a number of key cases.
In 2017, he deliberated on the election petition filed by Martha Karua chalenging the win of Anne Waiguru as Kirinyaga governor.
He also ruled on the case of Finleys Kenya, where workers moved to court to stop the company from laying them off.
Justice Gatembu will be part of the seven-judge bench that will hear the BBI appeal case from June 29 to July 2.
