Weekend with the CEO

Dr Mutubwa: A automotive, correct garments maketh good males

Monday January 15 2024

Dr Wilfred Mutubwa, an advocate and an arbitrator throughout an interview at his workplace on January 10, 2024. PHOTO | FRANCIS NDERITU | NMG

He won’t admit it however Dr Mutubwa appears like a Congolese soukous dancer.

“It have to be the beard,” he says. I disagree. It’s not simply the beard. It’s his mien. It’s his gilt-edged frames that sit languidly on his face giving the looks of a classy shadow professor.

Or it might be the leopard portray behind him in his workplace, staring intently at you, reverse its counterpart on the opposite aspect: a zebra. On this he appears (seeks?) to ascertain dominance, one is the prey, the opposite is the predator.

No marks for guessing who’s who.

However as his college students know, Dr Mutubwa, OGW, is not only your common authorized practitioner. He’s the Dean College of Legislation at Mt Kenya College, a Chartered Arbitrator, a Court docket Member representing Kenya on the Everlasting Court docket of Arbitration, he’s the founding father of Dr Mutubwa Legislation Advocates…look, it’s sooner to state what he’s not, than what he’s.

And what he’s not a Congolese dancer. That’s unhappy, contemplating his two daughters remind him he’s an oldy, asking why he’s nonetheless on Fb. His daughters have his quantity, since you see, even a leopard can change into prey. At his piquant workplace in Westlands, with a to-die-for window view, he relives the desires of his youth, the lack of his brothers, and the truth that he simply doesn’t get why mentioned daughters—or anybody actually—would put on oversize tee-shirts that movement to simply in regards to the knees.

How does one get right here?

I follow a special form of legislation. I do loads of development and industrial legislation. I’m an arbitrator, mediator, and adjudicator coping with development, industrial and monetary disputes.

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I used to be good within the humanities and drawn into stage performs and theatre. Thus, apart from being a instructor, the one different occupation that may serve me effectively was legislation.

My mom until right now nonetheless asks when I’m going to get employed, haha! We’re solely 26 chartered arbitrators on this nation, and I’ve taught many judges on this nation, the East Africa courtroom, Comesa et al. I’m an all-round lawyer and I’ve represented IEBC in procurement instances in addition to many different election petitions.

You appear to have so much happening…

Nicely, I’m neither younger nor previous, what we name the midbar. The midbar is between 15 and 25 years. That is my 18th yr in legislation and I’m 42 years previous. I supervise some college students in legislation right here and in South Africa.

How do you discover time?

Any individual advised me there’s at all times time. The query is what are your priorities? As we speak if the president calls you to State Home, you can find time. Time have to be made. All this stuff may be achieved by planning your time. I come right here by 7am and I nonetheless discover time to drop my kids to highschool. On this digital world, half of the conferences I have to do are digital. However I even have superb assistants who assist me to plan my time.

Has anybody advised you appear like a Congolese dancer?

I’ve been advised I look Nigerian so many instances. However I’m born and bred Kenyan. Even when I’m in Lagos individuals converse to me within the native dialects. Perhaps it’s the beard.

Why did you begin protecting a beard?

A time got here in my life after I determined what I wished to do for myself. I identical to the look, and I’ve no specific philosophical cause like rebelling or pushing a sure agenda.

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That is merely how I categorical myself. In life you will have only a few issues you will have company on, so the little issues you are able to do, higher take advantage of out of them.

What’s the story of that leopard behind you?

I’m a creative individual and artistry is about talking by symbols and imagery. This can be a leopard, overlooking these zebras. Enterprise is about predators and prey, haha! The leopard represents the truth that I’m an aggressive individual however I’m additionally very decided to realize outcomes. The leopard may be very affected person and stealthy, identical to me. That is additionally one of many areas the place I symbolize my persona.

What’s your responsible pleasure?

I don’t know whether or not I can say it right here, haha! Some individuals say I’ve a weak point for vehicles.

These days, I’ve obtained into the behavior of shopping for traditional vehicles for 1,000,000 or two, then working with some extra thousands and thousands to reconstruct them. I’m additionally a developer of some type, the Kenyan type of no kugeria mani (I’m simply attempting), just a few leases right here and there. I’m serious about doing the identical for homes: purchase previous homes and revamp them. Often, I get pleasure from very high-quality whiskey.

What do you miss about childhood?

We weren’t wealthy or poor. My mother and father have been revered lecturers. I miss my brothers, the eldest was 12 years older than me. I miss the neighborhood life. I elevate my kids in another way. Rising up, everybody locally had an curiosity in our lives. I miss the power to attach with my associates the way in which I used to.

Friendships these days have change into transactional, what enterprise connections do you will have, what’s in it for me? Two of my elder brothers are deceased, one taught me drama, the opposite hockey. They might include tales of the college so I wished to make it there. I really feel that sense of hollowness. If you wish to dwell life, do it now. You aren’t answerable for your future, so simply do it now.

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Do you will have a particular reminiscence of your father?

He was a instructor of English and literature. He had by no means travelled exterior the nation however he would converse in refined English, you’d suppose the person has travelled the world. He taught us that high-quality issues in life are earned, it’s good to talk and write good English and carry your self in a sure manner: he didn’t take mediocrity.

I ask myself, what sort of individual would he be if he had the identical alternatives as I? I miss that I by no means had the chance to do many issues with him, I used to be that son who was born when he was fairly superior in age. He would have been 81 this yr. He would drive us in his previous Ford Marina and encourage us: shopping for a automotive is what a person does, dressing effectively, talking good English that’s what a person does.

How are you want him?

I like vehicles. He felt a superb man will need to have a automotive, purchase correct garments, converse and write correctly. He was additionally a drama instructor, and he taught me find out how to write poetry.

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