“I remember entering class and seeing people with phones and laptops, ready with notes and questions. I was shocked. In high school that would be unthinkable,” she says with a smile.

A smile Dr. Peter Kwenjera fondly calls the smile of a winner. The level of ambition and excellence around her motivated her to rise, transforming her journey from one of uncertainty and confusion to a strong sense of direction and purpose at Strathmore Law School (SLS).

From “It Hurt” to “I Belong Here”

Sheena’s law school journey was not without its humbling experiences. She particularly remembers being rejected from both the Strathmore Law Clinic and the mooting team. To her, mooting represented the pinnacle of legal training at SLS, a school renowned for producing some of the best mooters.

“It hurt,” she says. “Mooting takes your confidence and shows you that it’s based on absolutely nothing and then builds your confidence into something meaningful.”

Ironically, Sheena’s journey to becoming a lawyer began with small talk, something she actually dislikes. Yet, in the midst of a casual conversation, she discovered a deep source of inspiration: her father, who had always dreamed of becoming a lawyer but never had the opportunity.

“This became my passion and inspiration,” she says. “A part of me felt like I wanted to continue my dad’s dream.”

When Sheena joined law school, the lessons, interactions, and the numerous opportunities presented to her at Strathmore Law School convinced her that she was exactly where she was meant to be.

“It’s difficult to put into words, but SLS has shaped so much of what I believe,” she says.

The soon-to-be graduate admits that Strathmore Law School has helped her internalize her values and fueled her desire to become the person she truly aspires to be.

“Whether it’s in doing papers, attending conferences and even hosting those conferences, it’s all connected to who I am, and who I want to be,” she says, smiling and gazing upward, a gesture that shows just how deeply she lived and loved her law school journey.

Sheena recalls a time when everything seemed to hit all at once. She was participating in the Vis Moot while also working at Kenya Law (National Council for Law Reporting). The demands were intense, everything was moving so quickly, and at one point, she fell ill. Balancing it all became incredibly difficult.

“Moot is like acting for six hours straight,” she says. “Add school, work, and then getting sick. It was just too much.”

She had to take a break and recharge.

“It’s great to be exposed and do many things,” she reflects. “But knowing your tipping point is really important, both in law school and in life.”

From Rejection to Becoming One of SLS’s Mooters

Sheena’s moot journey began with a stumble. She entered the Cindy Wakio Moot, an internal SLS competition held in honor of the late Cindy Wakio, one of the school’s most outstanding mooters. Fresh to mooting, Sheena recalls performing poorly and quickly realizing how much preparation she lacked.

But her potential didn’t go unnoticed.

The late Eugene Kanyungo, then a Graduate Assistant at SLS, became a pillar of support. Whenever opportunities in mooting or legal research arose, he ensured Sheena was included. The promise he saw in her, as both a mooter and a lawyer, was clear, and ignoring it would have been a loss to SLS.

Eugene later connected her to the All Kenya Moot Competition, a prestigious event that brings together the brightest legal minds from institutions across the country. The competition provides a platform for law students to engage in rigorous legal debates, sharpen their advocacy skills, and gain practical insight into the legal profession.

Sheena participated, and from the disappointing performance in her first moot, she made a remarkable turnaround. The young lawyer began to show the world who she truly was, ultimately placing third nationally. This achievement earned her an internship with Kenya Law (The National Council for Law Reporting), a semi-autonomous state corporation under the Office of the Attorney General.

Fearless and determined to keep growing, she took on another challenge, the Alfred Deakin ICA Moot. This is a global platform that exposes students to international commercial law and arbitration. Her performance in this moot was one for the books, exposing her to the world of international commercial arbitration.

“We went to law firms, we created connections, we met lawyers from all over the world,” she says.

Next came the Vis Moot, one of the most intensive moots, spanning eight months of preparation. It was also her first opportunity to travel internationally, taking her to Vienna, Austria. “I saw how seriously people take mooting,” she says. “And I began to understand just how important mooting is in a law student’s life.”

To Sheena, mooting is about intellectual agility.  “You’re given an abstract problem and asked to solve it using the law you know. You don’t just get one right answer. It teaches you that there are several answers to the problem, and your job as a lawyer is to use the knowledge to get all the possible answers so that you are able to defend yourself diligently in any place you find yourself,” she passionately adds.

The Surprising Courses That Mattered Most

Sheena recalls Constitutional Law as one of the most impactful courses in her academic journey, a unit taught by Mr. Cecil Abungu. She remembers how he consistently emphasized the importance of thinking critically and continuously engaging with ideas, both inside and outside the classroom.

“Think about the things you are reading, the concepts you are interacting with, and how we can be effective students, effective people, and effective lawyers eventually,” he would often say.

One thing that has never left Sheena is the importance of meta-thinking. “You think and then you think about how you are thinking,” she says.

Sheena gives credit to the non-law courses, which she says had a significant impact on her. Courses like Philosophical Anthropology, Critical Thinking, Communication Skills, and History of Ideas were especially important during her first year. She’s grateful she took them seriously and encourages current first-year students not to take these foundational units for granted.

Sheena’s Rise at the Law Clinic

From being rejected by the Strathmore Law Clinic on her first attempt, Sheena went on to become a student leader within the same organization, eventually serving as Research Director. Her motivation to get involved in extracurricular activities came largely from her lecturers, who consistently encouraged students to explore law school beyond the classroom. She came to understand that law school was about more than just academics.

Sheena also drew inspiration from familiar faces. “There were people from my high school who encouraged me. They were already leaders in the Clinic, with some even serving as president at the time,” she recalls. Seeing them succeed helped her realize that it was possible to balance academics with active participation in extracurricular activities.

She fondly recalls one of her proudest moments.

“There was a time when we prepared proposals at the clinic and we wanted to present at a congress, the International Journal for Clinical Legal Education (IJCLE) in Amsterdam, Netherlands. To her surprise and delight, the University fully supported them. It covered travel, accommodation, and even the conference fees.

“They sent two of us to represent Strathmore University,” she says, her face lighting up. “I really felt so seen.” Indeed, #GoPlacesWithSU can do wonders.

How SLS Shaped Sheena’s View of Law and Justice

When asked how her involvement at SLS shaped her view of law and justice, Sheena says: “SLS taught me to be who I am and to be proud of who I am as an African.”

“I felt at home. I interacted very proudly with my African self, and that’s something I’m extremely proud of.”

Her sense of excellence, she says, is deeply tied to her faith.  “My belief in excellence is greatly influenced  completely by my faith,” she adds, quoting from Ecclesiastes 9:10:  “Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might.”

When asked what values guide her both as a student and as a leader, Sheena doesn’t skip a beat. “Excellence,” she says. “Doing your best in whatever you take on is so fundamental. It affects how you see yourself, and how others see you.”  Then, with a snap of her fingers and a smile, she adds, “Oh, and grace. Yes, grace. Extending grace to others and to myself. Seeing the best in people.”

What a natural leader.

As she awaits graduation, Sheena already knows her next step: becoming a Graduate Assistant at Strathmore Law School. A full-circle moment.

And of course, we had to ask the cliché: Where do you see yourself in five years?

She laughs, then replies with quiet confidence. “In five years, I would like to have done an LL.M. in Environmental Law.” She explains that International Environmental Law (IEL) opened her eyes to the vast impact that environmental law and policy can have, especially in Africa.

To her, the field is more than just intellectually stimulating.
She’s particularly passionate about supporting MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises), which she says “carry the economy, but are often not empowered with the legal knowledge that could make them more effective.”

Advice to Law Students

“A good student leader is someone who performs well in class and can also manage extracurricular activities. It’s about the students and the people you are serving,” she says, adding that Strathmore Law School has significantly shaped her worldview. It became a catalyst. Not only for how she sees the world but also for what she hopes to change in it.

“It’s very possible to lose your way if you don’t know yourself,” she reflects. “If I were to talk to a first-year student, I would tell them to take time to explore the different aspects of law school. Sit down, reflect, and figure out where you fit in, because once you understand that, you will know where to go.”

Now awaiting graduation, Sheena has already stepped into her next chapter: serving as a Graduate Assistant at Strathmore Law School, finishing her academic journey as one of the institution’s best and brightest.

Article written by Evans Ijakaa.