PATRICIA KAMERI-MBOTE
| NAME | PATRICIA KAMERI-MBOTE |
| AGE | 62 YEARS |
| GENDER | FEMALE |
| OCCUPATION | LAWYER |
Patricia Kameri-Mbote is a renowned Kenyan legal scholar, academic, and the current Director of the Law Division at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
She is known as a woman of many firsts, being the first female Professor of Law in Kenya, and was the first woman to serve as the Dean of the School of Law at the University of Nairobi.
In 2019, she became the first woman in East and Central Africa to be awarded a Higher Doctor of Laws (LLD) for her groundbreaking research on plural legal systems.
Patricia was the Founding Research Director of the International Environmental Law Research Centre (IELRC) and was the Programme Director for Africa for more than 20 years.
Career Background
She is a leading expert in environmental law, property rights, gender equality, and international law.
Beyond her role at the University of Nairobi, she has taught globally at institutions such as Stanford University, the University of Kansas, and Stellenbosch University.
In 2021, the Senior Counsel was a shortlisted candidate for the position of Chief Justice of Kenya and has also served as a consultant for the Kenyan government on constitutional reviews and land reform.
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In advocacy, the legal scholar is the Founding Research Director of the International Environmental Law Research Centre (IELRC), overseeing its Africa Programme for over two decades, and was conferred the rank of Senior Counsel in 2012.
Since October 2021, she has led the UN Environment Programme’s Law Division, managing global environmental law initiatives, including the Montevideo Programme.
Patricia began her career at UoN in 1990, progressing from assistant lecturer to becoming the first female Professor of Law in Kenya in 2011.
She served as the first female Dean of the School of Law at UoN from 2012 to 2016, during which she spearheaded curriculum reforms and expanded the campus to Mombasa and Kisumu.
During an unpaid leave between 2009 and 2012, she was instrumental in the preparation and launch of the Strathmore Law School.
She has held visiting professorships at Stanford University, Stellenbosch University, and the University of Kansas.
In 2006, the lawyer was appointed to the Committee of Eminent Persons, playing a key role in drafting Kenya’s 2010 Constitution and specifically advocating for gender equality and land rights.
Early Life and Educational Background
Born on March 19, 1964, in rural Kenya, Prof. Patricia Kameri-Mbote grew up in a family of nine children.
Her parents, Venanzio Kameri and Helen Njeri, advocated for education and maintained a household where boys and girls were treated equally.
She began her education at Mugoiri Primary School in Murang’a County before transferring to St. Michael’s Girls’ Boarding Primary School in Kirinyaga County.
For her secondary education, Patricia attended Loreto High School in Limuru, completing both her O-levels and A-levels by 1982.
She holds a Doctor of Juridical Science (JSD) and a Master’s from Stanford Law School, as well as degrees from the University of Nairobi, the University of Warwick, and the University of Zimbabwe.
Patricia Kameri-Mbote’s Family Background
She is married to John Mbote, whom she met while they were both students at the University of Nairobi in the 1980s.
The two have two children together, Ian Kamau and Chloe Elaine Wairimu.
Net Worth
While there is no verified public figure for Prof. Patricia Kameri-Mbote’s exact net worth, her financial standing is supported by her high-level professional roles and accolades.
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