Nora Mbagathi is a Kenyan human rights lawyer, constitutional advocate, and legal strategist with an international career in human rights litigation and advocacy.
Nora currently serves as the Executive Director of the Katiba Institute, an organization that promotes constitutionalism and the protection of fundamental rights.
Mbagathi was appointed as Executive Director of the Katiba Institute in 2024.
As Executive Director, Mbagathi oversees the organization’s constitutional litigation, public interest legal interventions, policy advocacy programs, and institutional strategy.
Recently, Nora was recognized among the Top 40 Under 40 Women by the Business Daily Africa, with Katiba Institute celebrating the recognition on June 30.
“We are proud to celebrate our Executive Director, Nora Mbagathi, on her recognition among the Business Daily Africa Top 40 Under 40 Women. This well-deserved honour recognises her outstanding leadership, unwavering commitment to constitutionalism, human rights, and the rule of law,” Katiba Institute celebrated the Executive Director.
With Nora’s experience in strategic litigation, human rights law, and policy advocacy, she has worked with legal and human rights organizations, including the Open Society Justice Initiative and Reprieve UK.
Early Life and Family
During an interview with the Dar Erste media, Nora clarified that she was born and raised in Nairobi.
However, when she turned 8, Nora moved to Berlin, Germany, where she lived until she turned 19, before moving to Cairo, Egypt.
Regarding her parents’ nationalities, Nora stated that her father is Kenyan and her mother is German.
Despite traveling across countries, Nora emphasizes that family refers to those who surround her, using the German term ’Heimat’.
“Family is Heimat. I believe wherever I am, the people are the Heimat,” Nora noted.
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Nora Mbagathi’s Education Background
Nora holds a bachelor’s degree in Middle East Studies from the American University in Cairo between 2008 and 2012.
Following her undergraduate studies, she joined the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
Studying between 2012 and 2013, Nora obtained a Master of Science (MSc) in Conflict Studies (Comparative Politics) from LSE.
Mbagathi later pursued legal studies at The George Washington University Law School in the United States, graduating with a Juris Doctor (JD) degree in International Law and Human Rights Law, which she studied between 2013 and 2016.
During law school, Nora was involved in student leadership in the International Law Society and participated in human rights initiatives and volunteer programs.
Through her qualifications, she was eventually admitted as a solicitor of England and Wales and gained membership to the New York Bar.
In addition, while studying law, Nora gained practical experience through internships and legal placements with organizations such as the Egyptian American Rule of Law Association and Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain.
Nora was also involved with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague, the Anti-Torture Initiative with the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, and the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights.
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Professional Career and Achievements
Nora’s professional journey began during an internship at the Office of the Federal President of Germany in 2008.
In 2011, Nora worked as a freelance journalist for the German newspaper taz (Die Tageszeitung).
She also served as a Research Assistant at The George Washington University Law School, where she supported legal research on international law issues.
Mbagathi joined Reprieve UK as a Caseworker in September 2016, where, during her nearly three-year tenure, she worked on human rights litigation, death-penalty mitigation cases, and matters involving abuses linked to counterterrorism operations.
In 2019, she joined the Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI), where she steadily rose through the ranks over five years.
Between 2019 and 2021, Nora held the position of an associate legal officer, and in 2021 and 2022, she became the senior associate legal officer at OSJI.
Nora also served as a lawyer from 2022 to 2023 and as a senior lawyer from 2023 to 2024.
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