END OF A TENURE - Amnesty International Kenya Board | 2020–2026 “At a time when millions face threats to constitutional freedoms at home and the erosion of the international human rights system, Amnesty remains a vital force and a moral compass for us all.” — Irungu Houghton, Immediate Past Executive Director, Amnesty International Kenya Thursday, 30 September 2026 marked the end of my tenure as a Board Member of Amnesty International Kenya. What a journey it has been. Like every leadership responsibility, serving on the Board has had its highs and lows, its difficult decisions and rewarding moments. But above all, I leave with gratitude: gratitude for the opportunity to serve, for the friendships I have made, for the lessons I have learnt, and for the privilege of contributing, however modestly, to the defence of human rights in Kenya. I leave behind a stronger Board, a stronger Secretariat and, importantly, a stronger Amnesty International Kenya. From an Outpost to a National Section One of the most significant transformations I witnessed during my tenure was Amnesty International Kenya’s evolution from an outpost of the International Secretariat into an independent, membership-driven national section. This was not merely an administrative change. It represented institutional maturity. During this period, AIK expanded its membership significantly, developed Circles of Conscience across the country, strengthened its governance structures, diversified its financing and transitioned towards a fully democratic organisation in which members elect their national leadership. I was among the last generation of Board Members to be appointed. I leave at a time when members themselves increasingly determine who leads their organisation. That transition is important because institutions become stronger when ownership rests with the people they exist to serve. The growth of AIK has been significant enough that colleagues from other countries have come to Kenya to learn from our experience in building and strengthening a national section. That is an achievement of which the Board, Secretariat and membership should be proud. Defending Human Rights The work, however, has never simply been about building an institution. It has been about people. During my tenure, Amnesty International Kenya remained an important voice in protecting civic space, documenting human rights violations, defending freedom of assembly and expression, challenging unlawful arrests, highlighting enforced disappearances and extrajudicial actions, and standing with individuals and communities whose rights were threatened. One intervention particularly close to me involved Amnesty International Kenya bringing together the Kenya Medical Association and the LAW SOCIETY OF KENYA (LSK) to review gunshot injuries arising from events in Kisumu. I nominated Dr Serena to represent the medical profession in that work, which culminated in a report released on 4 August 2023. We have defended citizens and non-citizens alike. The lesson for me remains simple: eternal vigilance is necessary if societies are to prevent governments and other powerful institutions from sliding towards authoritarianism and human rights abuses. Bringing Medicine to the Human Rights Table I joined the Board partly because Amnesty International Kenya was looking for a human rights defender from the medical profession. At the time, I was Secretary General of the Kenya Medical Association and was already involved in several human rights issues affecting patients, healthcare workers and communities across the country. My medical background therefore became part of what I brought to the Board. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I advised the Board on medical and public-health considerations that informed the organisation's approach during an extraordinarily difficult period. The experience reinforced something I have always believed: health is a human right. The right to health cannot be separated from dignity, equality, freedom from discrimination, accountable government and social justice. Leadership Through Difficult Moments One of my earliest responsibilities involved helping navigate a difficult whistle-blower matter and the investigations that followed. My approach was to bring people together rather than allow disagreement to tear the organisation apart. We strengthened governance processes, confronted difficult issues and worked towards institutional stability. I regard that period as one of my most important contributions to Amnesty International Kenya. Leadership is not demonstrated only when institutions are comfortable. Its real test comes when there is disagreement, uncertainty and institutional strain. Throughout my tenure, I served under three Board Chairs: Renée Ngamau, Awuor Ayiecho and Dr Stellah Bosire. Each brought a different leadership style and contribution. Renée Ngamau is a formidable human rights defender. I first admired her without ever having met her, when she was a presenter on one of my favourite radio stations, Capital FM Kenya. Meeting her later in the human rights movement — and seeing her advocacy extend to the international stage — was an unexpected privilege. Awuor Ayiecho had a deep understanding of Amnesty International's governance architecture. She helped many of us navigate what could sometimes be a complex institutional structure and subsequently served as Chairperson. Dr Stellah Bosire's journey intersects with mine in an interesting way. I knew her when she was an intern, later worked with her when she became CEO of the Kenya Medical Association, and today she is my Chairperson at Amnesty International Kenya. Such is life — leadership is ultimately about handing over. Her voice in the human rights space remains strong. The People Behind the Institution If you asked me for the greatest measure of success from my years on the Board, however, I would not begin with statistics. I would begin with people. The friends I made. The lives we touched through the human-resource decisions we made. The conversations before and after meetings. The disagreements we resolved. The meals, celebrations and Board meetings. And the countless one-on-one interactions with Board Members, Secretariat staff and human rights defenders. I have had the privilege of serving with remarkable people from across Kenya's social, professional and political spectrum. Crystal Asige taught me practical lessons about inclusion and how we engage people living with visual impairment. She also inadvertently helped those of us who spend long hours driving by encouraging Irũngũ to provide audio versions of Board minutes. They were far easier to follow on the road than pages of written minutes! She subsequently became a Senator. Catherine Mumma was tough, principled and persistent in advancing the governance agenda. She too subsequently became a Senator. Joram Mwinamo consistently championed entrepreneurship and institutional self-reliance. His contribution helped strengthen the thinking around AIK's long-term sustainability. Rachael Mwikali continues her grassroots human rights work in Mathare. She represents human rights advocacy from the ground upwards. Rachael, I still owe you that medical camp. Kevin Mwachiro continues to inspire through his courageous battle with multiple myeloma. His experience is also a powerful reminder that access to healthcare is itself a human rights issue. Dr chibanzi_mwachonda, who served on the Board for a period, has long been associated with advocacy for fair labour practices from his days as Secretary General of KMPDU. As a psychiatrist, his advocacy for mental-health rights remains equally important. Esther Njeri brought valuable experience from human rights work in Nyeri and taught me much about addressing human rights challenges outside Nairobi and within our counties. Abdullahi abdis always brought up a different way of looking at things at the board. Diana watila was a good friend. Her sharp inputs brought the board back to base. Saoyo Griffith Tabitha's legal input was always a welcome additional, occasionally sparking controversy. Anthony Akollo, a young law student when he joined the Board, brought an important youth and legal perspective. Institutions concerned with the future must create space for young people to participate in shaping that future. I also had the privilege of chairing the People, Organisation and Diversity Committee. My deputy, George Mwangala, has been an invaluable partner. His understanding of human-resource matters helped us strengthen the organisation and navigate difficult personnel and governance questions. He occasionally chaired meetings while I listened through my AirPods from theatre — perhaps an appropriate illustration of the intersection between my medical and governance lives! Irũngũ Houghton and a Leadership Transition Irũngũ Houghton was instrumental in bringing me into Amnesty International Kenya. At the time, AIK was looking for someone who could bridge the medical and human rights spaces. Our paths therefore converged naturally. Irũngũ subsequently led Amnesty International Kenya through an extraordinary period of institutional growth and transformation. I was pleased, towards the end of my tenure, to participate in the process that recruited George Morara as the new Executive Director, succeeding Irũngũ. Leadership transitions matter. Strong organisations must be capable of changing leaders without losing their purpose, values or institutional memory. The Secretariat: The People Who Make It Happen Boards provide governance, but organisations function because dedicated people do the daily work. The Amnesty International Kenya Secretariat — past and present — has been exceptional. The Executive Director's assistants, Elvis Solano and Irene Odenyi, deserve particular appreciation for enabling the Board to function: organising meetings, coordinating schedules, preparing us and, occasionally, reminding Board Members that there was actually a meeting to attend! To George Morara, Victor Ndede, Zaina Kombo, Eunice Obath, Stephen Oyugi, Gaudence Were, Emily Maranga, Mathias Kinyoda, Florence Annan, Fiona Maina, Ann Lucia, Amy Ochieng, Francis Kibue, Edward Mbanya, Irene Odenyi, James Kimila, Aurelia Miheso, Sharlene Muthuri, Ramadhan Rajab, Benta Moige, Judy Nganga, Tatyana Njenga, Danford Momanyi, Nellie Chepkemoi and the many others with whom I have interacted: Thank you. The work you do is not easy. As Kenya approaches another election cycle, your role will become even more important. The country needs strong institutions willing to hold government, political actors and other centres of power accountable to the Constitution and to fundamental human rights. The Power of an International Movement One of Amnesty International's greatest strengths is its international reach. For decades, Amnesty has documented human rights abuses across the world. A government may find it relatively easy to intimidate or suppress an isolated individual or local organisation. It becomes considerably more difficult when that organisation belongs to a global movement. An attack on one section can rapidly become an international human rights concern. At the same time, strengthening Amnesty's local presence has been equally important. Amnesty International Kenya is now a strong national section with an expanding membership, growing local fundraising capacity and Circles of Conscience across the country. That combination — strong local roots and international solidarity — is extraordinarily powerful. Passing the Human Rights Baton Perhaps one of my proudest personal moments is seeing the human rights baton passing to another generation. My daughter, Melissa Wairimu, founded and coordinates a human rights club at her school. I have connected her with resources from Amnesty International Kenya, including support from James Kimila. School-based human rights programmes matter because values such as dignity, equality, justice and freedom should not begin when people become adults. Charles Omote, a teacher and Vice Chair of AIK, has been particularly inspirational in demonstrating what school-based human rights education can achieve. The future of human rights depends on young people understanding that these rights are not gifts from governments. They are inherent to our humanity. From Board Member to Ordinary Member My term on the Board has ended. My membership of Amnesty International Kenya has not. I now transition from Board Member to ordinary member — and I do so proudly. I therefore leave with one request: Join Amnesty International Kenya. Become a member. Join a Circle of Conscience. Participate. Speak up. Defend someone whose voice is being ignored. Human rights institutions cannot survive on the courage of a few prominent defenders. They require thousands of ordinary citizens who are prepared to insist that the dignity and rights of every human being matter. I leave the Board grateful to God for the opportunity to serve. Grateful to the Chairs under whom I served. Grateful to my fellow Board Members. Grateful to Irũngũ Houghton, George Morara and the Secretariat. Grateful to the human rights defenders I met across the country. And grateful for the friendships that will continue long after the Board meetings have ended. Institutions grow. Leaders come and go. Boards change. But the cause remains. Human rights require eternal vigilance. And so, while this is the end of my tenure on the Amnesty International Kenya Board, it is certainly not the end of my journey as a human rights defender. Kindly DM if I forgot to mention you. To become a member of Amnesty International Kenya use the link amnestykenya.org/join-as-a-m… Dr Simon Mucara Kigondu Board Member, Amnesty International Kenya, 2020–2026