The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has announced the appointment of veteran human rights defender and lawyer Maina Kiai as the new chairperson of its board of directors, ushering in what the organization describes as a bold new chapter in the fight for justice and civil liberties.
In a statement released on Thursday, the commission also named Betty Okero as the new vice chairperson. Kiai takes over leadership at a time KHRC says the country and region are facing “relentless assault from severe governance abuses,” including widespread violations of fundamental rights and entrenched grand corruption.
Kiai, a globally recognized human rights advocate, is the founding executive director of KHRC and has previously served as the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association. He also held the position of inaugural chairperson of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and most recently served as the Director of Alliances and Partnerships at Human Rights Watch.
His international recognition includes his installation as the paramount chief of the Mende community in Sierra Leone, an honor bestowed for his unwavering work in promoting human rights across Africa.
“Kenya is under attack by a regime that fears its people. But we will not blink. I am committed to guiding KHRC to resist, expose, and push back against any force, be it the William Ruto regime or its enablers, that tramples on rights, freedoms, and the Constitution,” Kiai declared following his appointment.
The KHRC expressed confidence in Kiai’s leadership, hailing his decades of frontline activism and legal expertise as essential in strengthening the Commission’s mandate to protect and promote human rights in Kenya and beyond.
The commission also emphasized that the new leadership marks the beginning of a renewed and fearless era of advocacy and accountability in the face of rising authoritarian tendencies and shrinking civic space.
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