President William Ruto’s nominee for Chairperson of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), Duncan Oburu Ojwang, has turned down the appointment barely a week after his name was forwarded to Parliament for vetting.
In a communication to the National Assembly on Tuesday, Speaker Moses Wetang’ula informed MPs that he had received a letter from Ojwang “respectfully” declining the role, citing personal reasons and a perceived conflict of interest.
“In light of the foregoing, the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs is directed to cease any further consideration of the nominee,” Wetang’ula stated. He further instructed the Clerk of the National Assembly to immediately notify the appointing authority of the development.
Ojwang was nominated on August 5, 2025, following a competitive recruitment process in which six candidates were shortlisted in May from a pool of 17 applicants. His nomination, alongside his curriculum vitae, was referred to the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee for vetting.
A distinguished legal scholar and human rights practitioner, Ojwang previously served as Dean of the School of Law at Africa Nazarene University from 2017 to January 2023 and lectured at the University of Nairobi. His teaching and research expertise span constitutional law, human rights, environmental law, and law and development. He holds a PhD in Law and Policy from the University of Arizona, an LL.M. in International Human Rights Law from Indiana University, and a Juris Doctor from Southern Illinois University School of Law, in addition to a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Outside academia, he has worked with the African Union as an election observer, participated in the Tumaini peace mediation process in South Sudan, and served on the technical team of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO).
However, Ojwang’s nomination faced legal challenges from the Katiba Institute and the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC). The petitioners argued that appointing him would violate Article 250(11) of the Constitution, which bars a commission’s chairperson and vice chairperson from being of the same gender. With current vice-chairperson Raymond Nyeris being male, they claimed the nomination was unconstitutional.
The High Court was scheduled to mention the matter on September 17, but Ojwang’s withdrawal effectively halts the vetting process. The decision now returns to the President, who must identify a new nominee for the KNCHR leadership.
