LAWYER PROFILE

Irene Kashindi

Global 2026

Munyao Muthama and Kashindi

Ranked in 2 practice areas

Employment

Kenya

10 years ranked

Dispute Resolution

Kenya

5 years ranked

About

Provided by Munyao Muthama and Kashindi

Global

Practice Areas

• Employment and Labour Relations

• Civil and Commercial Litigation

• Alternative Dispute Resolution

• Judicial Review and Administrative law

• Constitutional Law

• Taxation and Revenue

• Public Procurement and Public Private Partnerships

Career

• July 2018 to date: Partner, Munyao Muthama & Kashindi

• November 2023 to date: ILO Committee of Experts on Applications of

Conventions and Recommendations

• 2020 to date: Member Employment and Labour Relations Rules Committee

• November 2020 to November 2023: Board Member: Public Procurement

Administrative Review Board.

• January 2014 to June 2018: Partner: Hamilton Harrison & Mathews

• 2007 to 2013: Associate: Hamilton Harrison & Mathews

• 2006 to 2007: Trainee Advocate: Hamilton Harrison & Mathews

Professional Memberships

• Law Society of Kenya

• East African Law Society

• Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK/Kenya Branch)

• Women in ADR

• Women on Boards

• Women’s Law Network

• Institute of African Women in Law

Publications

• Co- authored Volumes 1 and 2 of Kashindis’ Digest of Employment Cases (released August 2020 and November 2023) both of which cover over 240 digested cases that we carefully selected according to their jurisprudential value.

• Other publications include

i. Legal Alert: An analysis of Court of Appeal’s decision in Samasource EPZ versus

Meta Platforms and Others, on mandatory interlocutory injunctions.

ii. Legal Alert: Historical Employment Claims related to sexual harassment that

arose before the enactment of the Employment Act, 2007.

iii. Legal Alert: NSSF contributions following a recent decision by the Court of

Appeal on the NSSF Act 2013.

iv. Legal Alert: A digest of a recent decision by the Supreme Court of Kenya on the

employer's duty to reasonably accommodate sick employees, indirect

discrimination at the workplace and employee's right to be heard before

termination of employment.

v. Legal Alert: Analysis of a recent decision by the Employment and Labour

Relations Court on the termination of probationary contracts.

vi. Legal Update for Employers and Employees (Prospective Adoptive Parents) A

New Dawn for Adoptive Parents: Pre-Adoptive Leave is now a Statutory

Entitlement.

vii. Legal update for employers, technology companies &others Employment Laws

in the 'Gig' Economy' – Analysis and possible implications of the UK Supreme

Court's February 2021 Uber judgment.

viii. Legal update: The Employment and Labour Relations Court rules on possible

frustration of employment contracts due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

ix. Chambers and Partners' Employment Global Practice Guide (Kenya)

x. Legal 500: Employment and Labour Law in Kenya Lexology: Labour Law in

Kenya

xi. LLM thesis on Public Private Partnerships by Local Governments; Legal and

Policy Lessons for County Governments

Clients

• Safaricom PLC

• Unilever Kenya Limited

• PZ Cussons East Africa Limited

• Huawei Technologies Kenya Co. Ltd

• Britam Group

• National Bank of Kenya

• Aga Khan University Hospital

• The Nairobi Hospital

• Kenya Coach Industries

• Kenya Airports Authority

• National Hospital Insurance Fund

• Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission

• New Kenya Co-operative Creameries

• Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital

• Kenya Literature Bureau

• WPP Scangroup

Personal

She is member of various professional network of leading women lawyers including Women's Law Network, the Institute of African Women in Law, Women on Boards and Women in ADR.

Work Highlights

Employment and Labour Relations

• Represented the Kenya Aviation Authority in proceedings against a union

threatening to paralyze Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, and assisted in

stakeholder engagement to avert a crisis.

• Successfully defended Kenya’s largest telecommunications provider in claims

totaling Kshs. 500 million, reducing liability to Kshs. 1 million.

• Representing a leading hospital and its affiliated university in multiple senior

staff labour disputes.

• Advising a Germany-based multinational on employment litigation, terminations,

benefits, and compliance.

• Providing litigation and advisory support to a top-tier international school on

contract conversions, discipline, and exits.

• Acting for a regional hospital in multiple labour disputes, including union

matters at both trial and appellate levels.

• Represented a local bank in a union dispute over Kshs. 200 million, successfully

settling through conciliation.

• Defended a leading LPG manufacturer in 50+ labour disputes and advised on

internal labour policies.

• Advised Africa’s largest marketing and communications group on a sensitive

employment matter involving abuse of office and conflict of interest, leading to

a successful separation.

• Collaborated with a leading U.S law firm on a cross-border employment

secondment dispute for a multinational technology company, preventing

litigation.

• Advised a UK-based multinational on redundancy outsourcing, contract reviews,

and employee policies.

• Represented government agencies, including NHIF, EACC, Moi Teaching and

Referral Hospital, and Kenya Trade Network Agency, in high-stakes employment

disputes involving senior staff recruitment, union representation, and collective

bargaining.

• Offering comprehensive employment and labour law services to multinational

corporations, government entities, and local businesses on matters spanning

the entire employment lifecycle—from recruitment, contracts, and workplace

policies to termination and dispute resolution, providing strategic guidance on

compliance, industrial relations, and emerging trends.

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and Public Procurement

• Served as a Board Member of the Public Procurement Administrative Review

Board (2020-2023), adjudicating over 400 tender disputes (as part of panels).

• Successfully defended the NGCDF Board in a contentious multi-million tender

dispute before the PPARB and the High Court.

• Part of the team that represented KENGEN in multiple procurement disputes

involving large infrastructure and energy-related tenders worth billions of

shillings, including power generation projects and security services.

• Part of the legal team that successfully defended China Road and Bridge

Corporation in a constitutional petition challenging the award of the Kshs 370

billion Standard Gauge Railway project.

• Part of the legal team that defended the winning bidder in the Kshs 170 billion

Lamu Coal Power Plant PPP project before the PPP Petition Committee and the

High Court.

• Part of the team that represented the Ministry of Education in disputes valued at

over Kshs 25 billion laptop supply tender before the Public Procurement

Administrative Review Board (PPARB) and the High Court.

• Advised on several high-value procurement disputes, including contracts related

to energy, ICT, and infrastructure sectors.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

• Part of the team that represented KCB Bank and Mumias Sugar Company (in

Receivership) in an international arbitration at the ICC International Court of

Arbitration regarding a USD 35 million credit facility.

• Lead counsel in an LCIA arbitration, collaborating with a Mauritius law firm on a

reseller agreement dispute.

• Represented a major audit firm in arbitration proceedings involving a claim by a

former CEO.

• Acted as counsel in various labour conciliation disputes and court-annexed

mediation cases, successfully negotiating out-of-court settlements.

• Served as a sole arbitrator in employment-related disputes.

Commercial and Civil Litigation

• Part of the team that defended EPRA in class-action lawsuits over electricity

billing and tariffs, with claims exceeding Kshs 10 billion.

• Part of the team that represented KCB Bank in multi-billion insolvency disputes

on Mumias Sugar Company’s administration and receivership.

• Handled a landmark Supreme Court litigation for Kenya Wildlife Service on

wildlife compensation claims.

• Part of the team that defended KWS in legal challenges to the Kshs 105 billion

SGR Phase 2A routing through Nairobi National Park.

• Part of the team that defended a leading tobacco company in a constitutional

challenge to regulatory restrictions across all court levels upto the Supreme

Court

• Defended the Export Processing Zone Authority disputes valued at over Kshs 1

billion.

• Part of the legal team representing a top private hospital in substantial

professional negligence claims.

Tax Disputes

• Acted for major pharmaceutical companies in judicial review proceedings

challenging substantial tax demands by the Kenya Revenue Authority, affecting

the entire industry.

• Advised and represented multiple multinational corporations in tax disputes

involving transfer pricing, VAT, and customs duties.

• Successfully defended clients in high-stakes tax litigation before the Tax

Appeals Tribunal and superior courts.

Experience

Irene is a Partner at the firm with over 16 years of experience. She is Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK). A distinguished litigator, she has represented local and international clients across all levels of Kenya’s judicial system, including the Supreme Court and key statutory tribunals. She is a recognized leader in employment law and heads MMK Advocates’ dynamic employment department, handling complex, high-value disputes and advisory mandates. Her expertise earned her a 2023 appointment to the International Labour Organization’s Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations. She previously served on the Employment and Labour Relations Court Rules Committee.

As a frequent speaker, Irene has facilitated training sessions for the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), East African Law Society, Kenya Judiciary Academy, and corporate clients.

Beyond employment law, she has extensive experience in tax, alternative dispute resolution, corporate insolvency, judicial review, constitutional law, data protection, public procurement, and public-private partnerships. She also served as a member of the Public Procurement and Administrative Review Board.

Education

Strathmore Law School

PhD in Law

2025 - 2028

Chartered Instituted of Arbitrators, UK

Accelerated Route to Fellowship

2023 - 2023

University of Nairobi

Master's Degree in Law

2010 - 2011

University of Nairobi

Bachelor of Laws

2003 - 2006

Kenya School of Law

Diploma in Law

2007 - 2007

Kenya School of Law

Admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya

2008 - 2008

Awards

Top 50 Women Lawyers and Top 10 in the Litigation

Nairobi Legal Awards

2024

Top 100 Litigation Hall of Fame (Kenya)

Lawyer Africa

2024

Top ranked in Band 1, Employment (Kenya), Dispute Resolution (Band 3)

Chambers and Partners

2024

Top ranked in Band 1, Employment (Kenya), Dispute Resolution (Band 3)

Chambers and Partners

2023

Top ranked in Band 1, Employment (Kenya), Dispute Resolution (Band 3)

Chambers and Partners

2022