The cause of the lawyer’s death remained unclear, even as his family grappled with the pain of the news.
At the time of his passing, Mutubwa was serving as the Dean of the School of Law at Mt Kenya University.
Chief Justice Martha Koome expressed her condolences for the legal scholar on Wednesday morning, recognizing him as a distinguished advocate for a multi-door approach to justice in Kenya.
“On behalf of the Judiciary family and on my own behalf, I extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Dr. Wilfred Mutubwa, who served as the Vice-Chairperson of the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) and as a Member of the Judiciary’s Court Annexed Mediation Taskforce,” Koome stated.
“Dr. Mutubwa, who was also the Chairman Emeritus of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators – Kenya Branch, was esteemed as a leading advocate for the multi-door approach to justice delivery in Kenya. His promotion of arbitration and mediation as preferred dispute resolution methods played a crucial role in shaping these practices within the justice sector,” she added.
Mutubwa was also a proponent of Alternative Dispute Resolution, having served as Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in Kenya.
According to his close associates, Mutubwa was involved in a dispute at a city hospital and was actively working towards facilitating an amicable resolution.
Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo also led fellow legal practitioners in mourning the esteemed legal scholar, describing him as a distinguished practitioner, academic, and advocate for Alternative Dispute Resolution.
“Through his notable work in ADR, Mutubwa earned a position as a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague and led pioneering initiatives to enhance the role of arbitration in Kenya’s justice system,” Odhiambo stated.
“The significant achievements he realized in his brief but impactful tenure as the Dean at MKU School of Law reflect his unwavering commitment to mentorship and the advancement of the legal profession,” she added.
Mutubwa’s body was subsequently collected by the authorities and taken to the mortuary, where investigations and an autopsy began to determine the cause of his death.
