Judy Thongori

Judy Thongori (1964/1965 – 14 January 2025) was a Kenyan lawyer and rights activist. She was a women's rights activist, and she successfully sued the Kenyan government for not delivering 30% representation for women.

Life and career Thongori was born in 1964 or 1965. She was educated at Kahuhia Girls' High School for Ordinary Level (O-Level) and Advanced Level (A-Level).

Thongori was married to another lawyer, John Thongori, with whom she had two children.

She started her own law company, and she became an advocate for women's rights. She saw that the Kenyan police ignored abuse cases where the woman and family relied on the man's income. She realised that the culture was at fault. She organised training sessions for the police to inform their actions. Thongori spent five years leading an association of women lawyers. She was recognised by the Institute for Inclusive Security and Thongori's highest profile case was when she won a case against the Kenyan government when they failed to deliver 30% representation for women.

In 2015 she was chosen to be one of 21 women who met for a conference at Harvard University Kennedy School of Government funded by Hunt Alternatives. The group included Fauzia Nasreen from Pakistan and Olufunke Baruwa, Esther Ibanga, Hafsat Abiola and Ayisha Osori from Nigeria.

In 2023 she joined a committee to look at the activities of radical religious groups formed by President William Ruto. The committee of seventeen was formed following the discovery of over 170 bodies in the Shakahola Forest. It was said that followers of a church in the Dagoretti Constituency were encouraged to starve themselves to "meet Jesus". Critics said that Ruto had chosen "insiders" to investigate.