Kagwiria Mbogori LLM ’97

Kagwiria Mbogori is immediate former the Chairperson of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR). She has broad work experience at the national and regional level. At the helm of the Commission she provided strategic leadership for the implementation of the Commission’s s strategic direction and programming, that focused on the promotion of a culture of respect for human rights in Kenya. 

Kagwiria is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and holds a Masters of Law from the University of Notre Dame, Indiana majoring in International Human Rights Law (LL.M). She is a Law Graduate from the University of Nairobi (LL.B) and holds a post graduate Diploma from the Kenya School of Law.

Prior to joining KNCHR, Kagwiria served for a decade in the United Nations system in several positions. In the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) as the Chief Technical Advisor for the Judiciary of South Sudan form 2013-2014; the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) from 2007 to 2013 in a number of capacities in the human rights and rule of law sectors. Kagwiria was also the first Country Program Manager of UNIFEM in Liberia and had the opportunity to establish its presence from 2004 to 2006.

At the national scene, she served as the Executive Director of the Kenya Section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ-Kenya) form 1998-2003 and as Senior Programmes Officer/Ag. Executive Director in the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Kenya) from 1994-1998. Inspired by the UN World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna, Austria in 1993, and heeding the clarion call “Women’s Rights are Human Rights”, FIDA Kenya established the first formal program to combat gender-based violence in the country. Kagwiria was privileged to head this program.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8, Bible (NIV)

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