BETTY MURUNGI PROFILE
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 25, 1960 |
| GENDER | Female |
| FAMILY | Married to James Orengo |
| OCCUPATION | Lawyer |
Betty Murungi Biography
Betty Murungi is a distinguished human rights lawyer and the wife of Siaya Governor James Orengo.
She is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya and has built an impressive career spanning more than two decades in the fields of human rights, transitional justice, gender, constitutionalism, and governance.
Her work has primarily focused on advancing gender justice within international justice and accountability systems, and on promoting women’s rights in societies affected by violent conflict.
Career
Her commitment to justice and equality has taken her across Africa and beyond. Over the years, she has contributed to significant human rights and transitional justice efforts in Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Northern Uganda, South Sudan, and Kenya.
Currently, Betty serves as a Professor of Practice at the Center for Gender Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, a position she took up in 2020.
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Alongside her academic work, she has held several high-level positions in international and national justice institutions.
She was the Vice Chairperson and Commissioner of the Kenya Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (2009–2010), and served as the Africa Representative on the Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims at the International Criminal Court between 2009 and 2013.
Between 2016 and 2018, Betty served as Senior Transitional Justice Advisor to the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) in South Sudan, supporting peace and reconciliation processes.
She was also appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council as a member of the Independent Commission of Inquiry for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, serving from July 2018 to March 2019.
In addition to her public service, Betty works as an independent consultant in the areas of human rights and transitional justice.
Education Background
Betty Murungi holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and earned her Bachelor of Laws (LL.B. Hons) from the University of Nairobi in 1984.
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The following year, she completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Education from the Kenya School of Law. She later returned to Harvard as a Visiting Fellow at the university’s Human Rights Program, where she spent a year researching transitional justice mechanisms.
Accomplishments
In December 2003, she was awarded Member of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBE) – for her distinguished service in the field of human rights.
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