Grace Mumbi Ngugi

Grace Mūmbi Ngūgì, Member of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS), is a Kenyan lawyer and a judge of the High Court of Kenya. She works in the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Division of the Court. She was appointed to the High Court in 2011 and has played a significant role in the development of constitutional and human rights jurisprudence in Kenya following the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution. Ngugi is particularly noted for her rulings on governance, accountability, and anti-corruption, as well as her contributions to the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms. In addition to her judicial work, she has been active in legal research, civil society, and advocacy, including co-founding the Albinism Foundation of East Africa. She is a recipient of several national and international honours, including the Global Jurist of the Year Award in 2021.

Early life and education Grace Mūmbi Ngūgì was born in Banana Hill, Kiambu County. She was born with albinism to a family of 11 siblings. Ngūgì attended Thìndìgua Primary School. She achieved a score of 35 out of a possible 36 points in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations. She got a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nairobi and later obtained a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the London School of Economics and Political Science, where she was a recipient of the Overseas Development Administration Shared Scholarship (ODASS). She also holds a diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law.

Career

Ngūgì was admitted to the Kenyan Bar in 1988. She was in private practice as a partner at Njogu and Ngugi Advocates from 1993 to 2011.

She has also worked in civil society and public sector roles, including as Legal Counsel for the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA–Kenya) where she represented victims of gender-based violence following the 2007–2008 post-election violence, including presenting evidence before the Commission of Inquiry into Post-Election Violence (Waki Commission). She was also an Associate Consultant at the Legal Resources Foundation and a part-time researcher on civil society and governance in East Africa for the Series on Alternative Research in East Africa Trust (SAREAT). From 2016 to 2019, she led the High Court at Kericho before being appointed in March 2019 as Presiding Judge of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Division at the Milimani High Court.

In 2019, Ngūgì issued rulings relating to the prosecution of corruption cases involving public officials. In a decision delivered on 24 July 2019, she held that public officers charged with corruption-related offences could be barred from accessing their offices while their cases were pending.

International leadership and engagements Ngūgì has held several international and regional leadership roles in the fields of human rights, judicial education, and legal reform. She serves as Chairperson of the Judicial Education Sub-Committee of the Africa Judges Forum on HIV and AIDS.

Ngūgì has also been involved in global academic and professional exchanges. In 2021, she was awarded the Global Jurist of the Year Award by the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Center for International Human Rights in recognition of her contributions to human rights, particularly for women, marginalized communities, and persons with albinism.

2013 – Brand Kenya Ambassador Award

2015 – Member of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS), conferred by the Government of Kenya

2015 – Distinguished Service Award, awarded by the Law Society of Kenya

2021 – Global Jurist of the Year Award