Samwel Mukira Mohochi (born June 26, 1972, in

Nairobi Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

) is a Kenyan judge of the High Court,

human rights activist A human rights defender or human rights activist is a person who, individually or with others, acts to promote or protect human rights. They can be journalists, environmentalists, whistleblowers, trade unionists, lawyers, teachers, housing campai ...

, and attorney. He is an international human rights advocate before treaty monitoring bodies and the

United Nations Human Rights Council The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a United Nations Regional Gro ...

Early education

Samwel Mohochi was educated in public schools in Kenya. He attended Kimathi Estate Primary School between 1980 and 1985, Rabai Road Primary School between 1985 and 1987, where qualified for his Kenya Certificate of Primary Examination (KCPE). He subsequently attended St Paul's High School Amukura in Teso District between 1988–1990 and Kisii High School between 1990 and 1991, where he qualified for his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).

Higher education

Samwel Mohochi studied for his Bachelor of Laws Degree LLB at the Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar Law College,

Nagpur University Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU), formerly Nagpur University, is a public state university located in Nagpur, Maharashtra. It is one of India's oldest universities, as well as the second-oldest in Maharashtra. It is named ...

in India, between 1992 and 1997; graduating with an upper second class degree. He enrolled to study for his bar exams at the Kenya School of Law in 1998, eventually graduating with his post graduate Diploma in law in 2000. He undertook his post graduate studies in his Masters in Law LLM at the

Transitional Justice Institute The Ulster University's Transitional Justice Institute (TJI), is a law-led multidisciplinary research institute of Ulster University which is physically located at the Jordanstown, and Magee campuses. It was created in 2003, making it the first a ...

University of Ulster Ulster University (; Ulster Scots: or ), legally the University of Ulster, is a multi-campus public research university located in Northern Ireland. It is often referred to informally and unofficially as Ulster, or by the abbreviation UU. It i ...

2009–2010 with a dissertation entitled "Jurisdiction of the ICC: The Realpolitik by State Parties to the Rome Statute and United Nations Security Council in Its Efficaciousness".

Career

He previously headed the litigation Fund Against Torture (LIFAT) (2001–2005), Executive Director, Independent Medico-legal Unit IMLU (2005 2009). He is the founder and trustee of the National Coalition for Human Rights Defenders in Kenya. He is a member of the General assembly of the

World Organisation Against Torture The World Organisation Against Torture (''Organisation Mondiale Contre la Torture''; OMCT) is the world's largest coalition of non-governmental organisations fighting against arbitrary detention, torture, summary and extrajudicial execution ...

(Organisation Mondiale Contre la Torture, OMCT) and a life Member of the

Kenya Red Cross Society The Kenya Red Cross is one of the many International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement societies around the world. The Kenya organisation was established in 1965. The Kenya Red Cross supports and runs a number of projects whilst raising awarenes ...

. He has represented controversial criminal suspects allegedly tortured by the security forces that include

Mungiki Mungiki is a banned ethnic organisation in Kenya. The name (''mũngĩkĩ'', ) means "a united people" or "multitude" in the Kikuyu language. The religion, which apparently originated in the late 1980s, is secretive and bears some similarity to myst ...

and Sabaot Land Defence Force SDLF and investigated alleged torture in

Mount Elgon Mount Elgon is an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya, north of Kisumu and west of Kitale. The mountain's highest point, named "Wagagai", is located entirely within Uganda.

by the military in 2008 during the 'Operation Rudi Nyumbani' against the

Mount Elgon insurgency The Mount Elgon insurgency was a conflict that started in 2005 when the Sabaot Land Defence Force militia revolted in the Mount Elgon area, Western Kenya. Background In the 1920s and the 1930s, British Kenya had displaced many native Sabaots in t ...

References

*http://www.imlu.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=15&Itemid=29&limit=9&limitstart=9 *http://www.omct.org/index.php?menuId=97&lang=eng
Reuters April 27, 2008
*http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/ *http://www.unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpNewsByYear_en)/A80BB210F356BF46C12575CA0040E40E?OpenDocument/

External links

*http://www.legalservicesplc.org/index.php/our-people/57-samwel-mohochi-managing-partner *http://ke.linkedin.com/pub/samwel-mohochi/3/9b1/422 {{DEFAULTSORT:Mohochi, Samwel Kenyan human rights activists 21st-century Kenyan lawyers Living people 1972 births