KHRC appoints Davinder Lamba as interim board chair

The Kenya Human Rights Commission(KHRC) has appointed Davinder Lamba as the board's interim chairperson replacing Prof Makau Mutua who recently stepped down.

Prof. Makau Mutua resigned from the position to concentrate on his role as a spokesperson of the Raila Odinga Presidential campaign secretariat.

While confirming Lamba's appointment  KHRC board described Davinder as an “activist who bears scars of his battles like a badge of honour".

"Davinder has been a member of the KHRC Board for many years and has an exemplary and distinguished record in the human rights and social justice movements at all levels," read the statement in part.

"Once described as an “activist who bears scars of his battles like a badge of honour” , Davinder’s quest for justice stretches back to the early post-independence years making him one of the longest-serving and most indefatigable activists in Kenya and beyond."

Davinder was the first Kenyan architecture student to pursue a master’s degree in environmental studies at the Toronto-based York University.

He has been the Executive Director of Mazingira Institute, one of the foremost and oldest civil society organizations (CSOs) established in 1978.

He was also the Co-Convener of the National Convention Executive Council (NCEC) and has been the leader of Operation Firimbi, an initiative focused on “whistle-blowing” or exposing and confronting corruption and other governance misdeeds.