About Me
I am Jacqueline Ingutiah, MBS, an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya with over 21 years of post-admission experience, an Assisting Counsel at the International Criminal Court and a Certified Mediator.
I am Jacqueline Ingutiah, MBS, an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya with over 21 years of post-admission experience, an Assisting Counsel at the International Criminal Court and a Certified Mediator.
My Story. My Values. My Purpose.
My professional journey has taken me from underserved communities facing significant barriers to justice to national institutions responsible for protecting rights and strengthening the rule of law. Through these experiences, one conviction has remained constant, the law must not only promise justice; it must deliver it.
My sense of justice was shaped early. In 1992, at just 12 years old, I accompanied my father to assist families displaced by post-election violence in Molo. Witnessing their suffering awakened a lifelong commitment to human dignity, fairness and accountability.
I studied law at Moi University and undertook my pupillage under the late L.G. Menezes, whose mentorship instilled in me diligence, professional integrity and a commitment to pro bono service. In 2004, my placement in Lodwar, Turkana County, exposed me to the realities of limited access to justice and reinforced my belief that rights have little meaning unless people can exercise and enforce them.
My career has included advancing women's and children's rights through strategic litigation and advocacy at FIDA Kenya, promoting international pro bono partnerships at Advocates for International Development (A4ID), and championing human rights and institutional accountability at the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), where I currently serve as a Regional Coordinator.
In 2022, I was elected as the Law Society of Kenya representative to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), where I contribute to the Commission's collective efforts to strengthen judicial independence, accountability, institutional governance and the efficient administration of justice.
In 2025, I was honoured with the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS) in recognition of my contribution to human rights and administration of justice.
My journey is guided by integrity, service, fairness and accountability. I believe leadership is measured not by the positions we occupy, but by the positive change we create, the lives we touch and the institutions we make better.
Qualifications & Experience
Education
- Master of Arts in Peace and Reconciliation – Coventry University, UK
- Postgraduate Diploma in Law – Kenya School of Law
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB) – Moi University
Professional Memberships & Affiliations
- Law Society of Kenya (LSK)
- East Africa Law Society
- International Commission of Jurists, Kenya Section (ICJ-Kenya)
- Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA Kenya)
- Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
- Bioethics Society of Kenya
- Litigants for Strengthening the Protective Mandate of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
Selected Professional Certifications
- Judicial Governance and Performance Management – National Center for State Courts (NCSC)
- AI, Law, Policy and Governance – London School of Economics and Political Science
- Public Policy – London School of Economics and Political Science
- High-Performance Leadership and Strategic Governance – National Defence College, Kenya
- Trial Advocacy – Lawyers Without Borders and National Institute for Trial Advocacy
- Legislative Drafting – Kenya School of Law
- Corporate Governance – Centre for Corporate Governance and ICPAK
- Audit and Risk Management – National Treasury
- Mediation – Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Selected Publications & Conference Papers
- 2026Remarks at the Launch of Tribunals Shared Services, NyeriRemarks as JSC Commissioner on the integration of Tribunals into the Judiciary, the growth in matters filed and finalised across 27 Tribunals, and the investment needed to keep specialised justice timely and accessible.
- 2026Measuring Justice: Rethinking the Kenyan Judiciary’s Performance Management and Measurement FrameworkAn examination of judicial performance management and the need to assess justice delivery through institutional effectiveness and outcomes.
- 2026Remarks at the Launch of the Judiciary Performance Management and Measurement Understanding (PMMU) Evaluation Report for 2024/25Remarks as Chairperson of the JSC Committee on Administration of Justice at the launch of the Judiciary's PMMU evaluation report for 2024/25, on performance management, accountability and the quality of judicial services.
- 2025Report to the Law Society of Kenya on Judicial Service Commission Strategic Achievements for the Year 2025Annual accountability report to LSK members on the JSC's strategic achievements in 2025, presented by the LSK representatives to the JSC, Hon. Commissioner Jacqueline Ingutiah, MBS and Hon. Commissioner Omwanza Ombati, MBS.
- 2025Speech at the Launch of the 2022/2023 Performance Management and Measurement Understandings (PMMU) Evaluation ReportSpeech as Chair of the JSC Committee on Administration of Justice at the launch of the Judiciary's 2022/2023 PMMU evaluation report, on accountability, timely justice, case backlogs and public confidence in the courts.
- 2024Report to the Law Society of Kenya on Strategic Achievements for the Year 2024Annual accountability report to LSK members on the JSC's strategic achievements in 2024, presented by the LSK representatives to the JSC.
- 2023Report to the Law Society of Kenya on Strategic Achievements of the Judicial Service Commission for the Year 2023Annual accountability report to LSK members on the JSC's strategic achievements in 2023, presented by the LSK representatives to the JSC, Hon. Commissioner Macharia Njeru and Hon. Commissioner Jacqueline Ingutiah.
- 2020Realising Access to Justice for All: Integrating a Human Rights-Based Approach to Access to Justice ProgrammingPaper presented at the Egerton University School of Law Legal Aid Conference, Nakuru.
- 2019Towards Implementation of the Global Compact on Migration: Taking a Human Rights-Based Approach to MigrationPaper presented at the National Migration Conference, Nairobi.
- 2016Regional Advocacy in Advancing Women’s Rights to Land and Other Productive Resources in AfricaPaper presented at the Women Deliver Conference, Denmark.