NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 12- Jedidah Wakonyo Waruhiu is the 2020 Jurist of the Year.
Waruhiu was recognized for her steady efforts to promote and protect human rights, the rule of law and good governance in the country.
The award is an initiative of the Kenyan section of the International Commission of Jurists, which was introduced in 1993, primarily to commemorate the International Human Rights Day.
Waruhiu is a former commissioner at the Kenya National Commission for Human Rights (KNCHR) and a current chairperson of the Intersex Persons Implementation Committee, under the Attorney General’s office.
Her human rights journey started at the University of Nairobi, where he studied law and was elected the Secretary General of Kenya Law Students Society (KLSS).
“It was while a student leader that our Jurist flame and passion for defending human rights became evident,” ICJ-Kenya chairperson George Morara said during the Friday night award ceremony.
“Our Jurist fearlessly defended fellow students against unlawful harassment and detention by the police over various issues, including protests,” he said.
Waruhiu was admitted to the bar in 1996.
She has in decades of her career focused on penal reforms, the security sector, and judicial reforms.
Jedidah Wakonyo Waruhiu is the 2020 Jurist of the Year. Photo/Courtesy
While at the Legal Resources Foundation, she was actively engaged in building paralegals’ capacity and subsequently developed several curriculums for paralegal training.
While at KNCHR, she represented the commission in the boards of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), National Council on the Administration of Justice, the National Legal Aid Service (NLAS), and the National Coordinating Mechanism (NCM).
” Our Jurist’s extensive experience and concern for the vulnerable and the marginalised manifested at the Commission, especially those in conflict with the law or needing care and protection. Our Jurist took the lead in advancing the rights of violent extremism victims and persons in penal institutions,” Morara pointed out.
“Our Jurist insights informed the KNCHR submissions on alternative reports in respect to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the International Convention on Civil Political Rights (ICCPR) and Convention Against Torture (CAT), and the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).”
Her footprints are etched in Kenya’s 2010 constitution on specific sections on rights of an arrested person, dignity and use of intermediaries.
She is said to have played a crucial role in developing the National Legal Aid and Awareness Policy 2012, National Lead Aid Service Act 2017, Small Claims Court Act 2015, Bail and Bond policy 2015, Prevention from Torture Act 2017, and the National Coroners Act 2017.
Regionally, she is known for her work in access to justice in prisons within the East African Community (EAC and Great Lakes), having been a member of the National Human Rights Institutions and Policing Working Groups.
Waruhiu assisted and prepared intersex persons in their dialogue with the African Human Rights Commission and has had various speaking engagements in workshops.
Internationally, she was instrumental in the efforts that led to drafting the UN Guidelines and Principles on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems.
Beyond academic and professional achievements, she enjoys history, photography, swimming, music, badminton, and basketball.
Want to send us a story? Contact Shahidi News Tel: +254115512797 (Mobile & WhatsApp)
