From a modest beginning of selling newspapers at a young age, Irungu Hughton rose to become one of the most vocal voices in kenya’s civil society.
On Friday, February 6, Amnesty International Kenya announced that Irungu was set to conclude his tenure at the organization after an 8-year stint.
Known for his eloquence and bold voice, Hughton had been the face of the Kenyan chapter of Amnesty International, leading on multiple occasions in calling out excesses of the government and cases of human rights violations.
Amnesty International’s board lauded him for the eight years he was at the helm.
“Under his relentless stewardship, our membership grew eightfold to establish 165 Circles of Conscience across 35 counties. This growth was matched by financial resilience. Our budget grew 150% and significantly diversified, fuelled by the very people we serve through member subscriptions, individual giving, and multi-year funders,” part of the statement issued by Amnesty Kenya read.
Early life and background of Irungu Hughton
Hughton was born into a blended family. His father was a British publisher with Oxford University Press, while his mother was a news anchor and beautician for the Voice of Kenya (VOK).
Irungu spent his early childhood in Nairobi, where he lived until he was 11, when his family moved to the United Kingdom.
He later attended Allidina Visram High School in Mombasa, where he credits his Form Two English teacher, Francis Noronha, with never giving grades above 50%, which helped him discover and nurture his writing talent.
In his 20s, Irũngũ experienced his calling in the NGO sector during an incident on his first day at ActionAid Kenya, when he was caught in gunfire in Kariobangi.
Irũngũ has also worked with some of the biggest NGO brands in the world, including ActionAid and Oxfam. He has also advised Care, Amnesty, Greenpeace, the London School of Economics, and the WWF, among others.
Irüngü Houghton Educational Background
Irungu holds a bachelor’s degree in African history and political science, earned from 1985 to 1988 at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, England.
Between 1989 and 1991, he earned a master’s degree in political economy and history at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
He has also studied the activities of the international students’ association.
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Career Background
At the age of 16, he sold newspapers and ventured into other businesses during school breaks to earn a living.
From 2012 to 2022, Irungu served as the founding chairman of the Kilimani Project Foundation, a community-based organization that promotes active citizenship and inclusive urban planning.
In 2017, Irungu served as the Executive Director of Chapter One Kenya. He designed and led an award-winning election-integrity vetting campaign and championed Shule Yangu alliance public land protection work.
He served as a Pan-African Director at Oxfam from 2003 to 2013, during which he led delegations to 20 African Union, World Trade Organisation, and G8 Summits.
He also guided a 25-country coalition to secure the ratification of the AU Protocol on Women’s Rights by African states, making it the fastest human rights instrument adopted in OAU/AU history.
He served as the former board member of Wildlife Direct for four years.
In 2007, at the African Union, he served on the High-Level Panel to review the African.
Prior to joining Amnesty International, he established an influential public-interest campaigning program and several alliances while at Chapter One Kenya and the Society for International Development.
Widely known as an inspirational speaker, change facilitator, and skillful moderator, Irũngũ has published a weekly column for the last five years with the Standard Group.
His public interest campaigns, conducted with others, have received awards and citations from the African Union, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, Nation Media Group, New African, the Architectural Association of Kenya, and the Sabre Africa Awards during the period covered in this book.
Irungu has served as the Executive Director of Amnesty International Kenya since 2018.
Achievements
As the head of Amnesty International Kenya, Irungu has led major campaigns against extrajudicial killings, police brutality, and enforced disappearances.
He is a leading voice in safeguarding public school land and urban open spaces from land grabbing, an effort that earned him a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Architectural Association of Kenya in 2017.
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Irungu is the founding chairperson of the Kilimani Project Foundation, a community-based organization that promotes active citizenship and inclusive urban planning.
During his decade as the Pan-African Director for Oxfam, he successfully influenced the African Union on issues ranging from women’s rights to peace and security.
Irungu has been consistently named among the Top 100 Influencers in Africa by New African Magazine and Top 10 Communicators in Kenya by Nation Media Group.
As the director, in December 2022, the Amnesty International Kenya achieved independent national section status following five years of strategic repositioning.
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