Wabia Nganatha Karugu is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) from Strathmore University and a Master of Laws in International Law (with Distinction) from the University of Glasgow. Wabia’s primary area of interest is women’s rights, specifically violence against women, as is reflected in her LLB Dissertation (‘Legislating ‘Coercive Control’ in Kenya: A Study of the Protection against Domestic Violence Act’) and her LLM dissertation (‘Navigating the Net: A Critical Analysis of the Extent to which CEDAW is Effective in Addressing Online Gender-Based Violence’). In previous roles including as a Trainee Lawyer at ALN Kenya Anjarwalla & Khanna LLP (A&K), Wabia conducted extensive pro bono legal research on human rights issues such as digital rights, and sexual and reproductive health rights. Her time at A&K also honed her coordination skills, enabling her to manage multiple tasks efficiently while meeting deadlines. In her role as a Legal Associate, and later a Consultant, at the Queer African Network, Wabia was able to hone her project management skills and carried out research on LGBTQIA+ rights.

Wabia’s career objectives are to bolster human rights, specifically women’s rights, by working on projects that ensure that regional human rights systems and treaties adequately support the realisation of these rights. She is also passionate about contributing to feminist jurisprudence and furthering research on women’s rights.

In her role as a Legal Associate, Wabia is supporting Collaborations under the Legal Directorate in executing three key projects: the AU reforms Project; the Article 59(1) Campaign; and ISLA’s activities at the ACHPR.

In her free time, Wabia enjoys watching movies, reading African historical fiction, discovering new music, long walks, and going on adventures with her family and friends.