Senior counsel Waweru Gatonye. [Photo/smartnewz.wordpress.com]IEBC has dropped senior counsel Paul Muite as the lead counsel in the latest presidential petition filed by former Kilome MP Harun Mwau and Njonjo Mue challenging the victory of President Uhuru Kenyatta in the October 26 repeat polls. Reliable sources have revealed that the electoral commission has hired a list of eight lawyers who will represent them in the case.Among the eight two of them stand out as their portfolio speaks volume over their expertise in the legal field.Lead counsel Waweru Gatonye a 1974 alumnus of Nairobi University law school has worked at the office of the Attorney General and also rose up to become the deputy director of public prosecution.Gatonye is also a member of the Law Society of Kenya, the National Advocates’ Disciplinary Committee, East Africa Law Society, International Commission of Jurists as well as the International Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.He has also worked as lead counsel in the Central Bank inquiry into the sale of the Grand Regency and also the Goldenberg scandal inquiry.
His able assistant Kamau Karori has attained the rank of Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitration and is an active member of the institute's branch in Kenya.Karori also represented IEBC in the 2013presidential petition. Several of his arbitral awards have been upheld by the court.He has also had the luxury of training judges of the High Court and Court of appeal. He has also been approached by many multinationals and high ranking individual to help them in dispute resolutions.