Ababu Namwamba

Pius Tawfiq Namwamba Ababu is a Kenyan politician. A member of the Orange Democratic Movement, Namwamba was elected to represent the Budalangi Constituency in the National Assembly of Kenya in the Kenyan parliamentary election, 2007. [ [http://www.bunge.go.ke/members.php Members Of The 10th Parliament] . Parliament of Kenya. Accessed June 19, 2008.]

"'Ababu Namwamba is a leading Public Interest Attorney specializing in international human rights and constitutional law, and a respected columnist with the highly rated Sunday Standard newspaper in Kenya .Born in Uganda to Kenyan parents and raised in Kenya , the Humphrey Fellowship (Fulbright) alumni holds a Master of Laws Degree in International Legal Studies from American University ’s Washington College of Law, a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of Nairobi and a Diploma in Legal Practice from the Kenya School of Law.

He is currently the Chief Counsel at the Chambers of Justice, a top Public Interest Foundation he founded in 2002. He also heads his own legal practice, Ababu Namwamba & Co. in Nairobi , Kenya .Mr. Namwamba has made significant contributions to the democratization struggle in Kenya , right from his days as a student leader at the University of Nairobi , always battling at the frontline in the pursuit of a just constitutional dispensation for Kenya . Since 2003, he has consistently led a unique evaluation of democracy and governance in Kenya in a research process dubbed “After the Promise”, which critically analyses performance of government and other political actors.

His weekly column in the Sunday Standard has become a mirror that lucidly reflects the myriad challenges confronting Kenya and Africa . In the Courtroom, Mr. Namwamba has won some crucial legal battles that have considerably expanded the horizons of justice and civil liberties.Ever the Roving Ambassador for Africa, which he fondly calls the Motherland, Mr. Namwamba has led campaigns seeking relief for Africa ’s crushing debt burden and fair trade practices for the developing world.

This has seen him travel around the globe, visiting and engaging leading players in the global political economy, such as the European Union. For this he won the 2003 Jubilee Global Award for Social Justice.Mr. Namwamba is also actively involved in philanthropic work through the Ababu Namwamba Foundation. 2007 saw Mr. Namwamba make a debut in elective politics as he sought to join Kenya ’s Parliament in December 2007 polls. He saw this as the next challenge in what he termed as his “transformative odyssey”."'

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