LAW SOCIETY OF KENYA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LEGAL REGULATORS: LAW SOCIETY OF KENYA PROPOSED LOCATION: NAIROBI Nairobi is the main commercial and cultural center for East Africa. It is the largest city between Cairo, Egypt, in North Africa, and Johannesburg, South Africa. Located on the edge of the rich agricultural region of the Central Highlands, Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya, the most developed country in East Africa. As one of Africa s leading cities, it hosts important international conferences and is the home for many embassies, international organizations, and businesses. The United Nations headquarters offices are located in Nairobi. The city has a cosmopolitan flair that combines African, Asian, European, and Middle Eastern cultures. Although it is a relatively new city (founded in 1899), it has played an important role in the region. It was at the epicenter of the nationalist movement, which eventually led to Kenya s independence from Great Britain in 1963. Since independence, the city has grown at a tremendous rate. Kenya has an untold wealth of destinations and experiences available to the visitor. In Kenya, one can explore what to do like the diverse range of environments all within relatively close proximity to one another, and an excellent domestic travel infrastructure. Explore what to see in world heritage sites, museums and monuments and the many conservatories, and explore places to visit like lakes, forests, coastal areas, cities, highlands and valleys and the award-winning wilderness. Nairobi is 1 17 S 36 49 E in South-Central Kenya, 140 Kilometres up the city s Nairobi National Park. It is adjacent to the eastern edge of the Rift Valley, and to the west of the city, are The Ngong Hills. Mount Kenya is situated north of Nairobi, and Mount Kilimanjaro is towards the Southeast. It is the most populous city in East Africa, with a current estimated population of about 3.5 million. This makes it the 14th largest city in Africa.
TOURISM In 2017 Nairobi was ranked the third best city in the world to visit by United Kingdom travel publisher Rough Guides. This was after Paris, France, took the first position on the list of top 10 cities in the world to visit in 2017, while Iran s Isfahan and Nairobi were second and third overall respectively. Nairobi, being the capital of Kenya, is a central attraction for Kenyan tourism and local and international activities and events. There is the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, occupying a plot within Nairobi National Park; this nonprofit trust was established in 1977, shortly after the death of David Sheldrick, who served as the anti-poaching warden of Tsavo National Park. Secondly, there is the Nairobi National Park. Set on the city s southern outskirts, Nairobi National Park (at 117 sq km, one of Africa s smallest) has abundant wildlife that can, in places, be viewed against a backdrop of city skyscrapers and planes coming in to land. It's one of the only national parks on earth bordering a capital city. Remarkably, the animals seem utterly unperturbed by it all. Thirdly, there is Kenya s wonderful National Museum, housed in an imposing building amid lush, leafy grounds just outside the centre, has a good range of cultural and natural-history exhibits. In addition, there is the Giraffe Centre. This centre, which protects the highly endangered Rothschild s giraffe, combines serious conservation with enjoyable activities. You can observe, hand-feed or even kiss one of the giraffes from a raised wooden structure, which is quite an experience. Last but not least, there is the Bomas of Kenya. The talented resident artists at this cultural centre perform traditional dances and songs taken from the country s various tribal groups, including Arabic-influenced Swahili taarab music, Kalenjin warrior dances, Embu drumming and Kikuyu circumcision ceremonies. Finally, there are others tourist attraction sights like, Karen Blixen's House & Museum; Kazuri Beads & Pottery Centre; Go-Down Arts Centre; Railway Museum; Kenyatta International Conference Centre; amongst many more memorable sights. ACCOMMODATION From one to five star Nairobi hotels and lodges, budget accommodations, guesthouses, self-catering, lifestyle or apartment living, Nairobi offers a variety of accommodation options to suit every budget, taste and lifestyle. For instance, there are five star hotels such as, Villa Rosa Kempinski and Hilton; among others.
SECURITY The government has tremendously improved security by ensuring constant patrol by the Kenya Police and also the installation of CCTV cameras in the city. This has tremendously reduced the level of insecurity. ACCESSIBILITY TO THE CONFERENCE CITY (NAIROBI) If you are flying to Kenya, Nairobi is the perfect starting point for traveling to the various areas of the country. It's centrally located, with an international airport and converging road network connecting it to most parts of Kenya. International airlines fly to Nairobi from Europe, the United States, Asia, the Middle East, Australia and other places. Nairobi is also the main airline hub to most other African countries and destinations. The main railway line also passes through Nairobi, and there are plenty of private and public transportation options for traveling between Nairobi and other Kenyan cities. The Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, abbreviated JKIA (Code: NBO), is only 18 kilometers (roughly 10 miles) from the Nairobi city center. It's the largest airport in the country and serves as the main entry point for visitors flying to Kenya. JKIA offers domestic, regional and international flights and connections to and from major European cities, the United States, the Middle East, the Far East and the African continent. PROPOSED DATES We propose to hold this conference in October 2018. CONFERENCE DESIGN We shall identify topical topics for discussion and speakers representing various regions on each specific topic of discussion. The conference will majorly adopt a panel discussion module with brief presentation from each of the panellist who shall be guided by moderators. After each session there shall be a plenary session to allow participants get in depth insights from each of the presenters. RELEVANCE TO OUR JURISDICTION Kenya has through the promulgation of its 2010 constitution experienced constitutional and regulatory development in law. This evolution in law is unprecedented in Africa and has been the center of academic discourse and professional re-invention. With these
developments in law, the country has seen a reinvention of the law society with professional services growing to accommodate and respond to the new trend in law. Based on these developments, the discussions have informed the new practise of law and provide a rich pool of experiences in prosecution of constitutional matters, interpretation of the constitution and constitutional review. These developments will shape up for discussants to evaluate the various developments in the law in response to global issues such as globalization and development The legal landscape in Africa has changed considerably in the last few years due to economic pressures, technological challenges and market competition. The forum will avail an opportunity for the Legal Regulators in Africa to discuss and learn from each other as well as from other regulators internationally Some of the key challenges include but not limited to increased number of lawyers getting into the profession, the need for specialization, Professional development, the emergence of mega law firms and formation of international alliances and the regulatory challenges thereto, harmonization of policies and legislative framework to encourage facilitate global practice. Law Society of Kenya and legal profession in Africa generally is embracing globalization. It is trying to carve a niche for its members. While it does that, it is also allowing the rest of the world to supplement on the legal service that might not be available in the country, The Commonwealth praise Kenyan lawyers for having the highest standards of lawyering indeed this can be observed from the quality of jurisprudence emanating from the Kenyan Courts. ATTRACTING NEW AND EXISTING PARTICIPANTS The Law Society of Kenya will use its existing networks to encourage and market the Conference to attract more participants. The Society enjoys great relationships with local, regional and international legal regulators and will use those linkages to attract new and existing participants to the Conference. The LSK is an institutional member of the following organizations; The East Africa Law Society, The Pan African Lawyers Union, Commonwealth Lawyers Association and International Bar Association in addition the Society has built strong networks with individual bar association both in the region and Internationally and currently implementing joint projects with the Canadian Bar Associations.
We shall also partner with the other local legal regulators e.g., the Council of Legal Education the Judiciary and the Kenyan Government through the office of the Attorney General to pursue and encourage other regional and international participants to participate.