Audrey Mbugua

Audrey Mbugua (born 1984) is a Kenyan transgender activist who has been involved in legal actions in the High Court of Kenya to fight for the rights of transgender people.[1][2][3]

She is head of the group Transgender Education and Advocacy[4] and was nominated for the Dutch ministry of Foreign Affairs' Human Rights Tulip award in 2014 for her activism.[2]

In July 2014 Mbugua won a court case to have her group, Transgender Education and Advocacy, registered with The National Council of NGOs in Kenya.[2] In October 2014 she won another case to force the Kenya National Examinations Council to change her name on her academic certificates.[1][2] In June 2016 Mbugua, as part of Transgender Education and Advocacy, was seeking changes to the 2016 Health Bill of legal recognition of transgender people, to stop the stigma associated with transsexuality, that sex reassignment therapy be permitted and other changes concerning sex reassignment surgery.[4]

Background and education

Mbugua was born in 1984. She holds a degree of Bachelors of Science in Biomedical Sciences with a specialization in medical biotechnology, from Maseno University. She is currently undertaking a master's degree in Information Systems at KCA University in Nairobi. Mbugua holds certificates in Monitoring and Evaluation from the Amref Health Africa International Centre. Additionally, she is an Oracle Certified Associate.

Activism

In July 2014 the High Court of Kenya ordered The National Council of NGOs there to register Mbugua's group, Transgender Education and Advocacy, and pay its legal fees.[2]

In October 2014, in a landmark case, the High Court of Kenya ordered the Kenya National Examinations Council to change Mbugua's name on her academic certificates, which was listed as Andrew, and also to remove the male gender mark on them.[1][2][3] Since transitioning, the fact her academic certificates no longer reflected her gender was preventing her from being employed.[5]

In June 2016 Mbugua, as part of Transgender Education and Advocacy, submitted a memorandum on the 2016 Health Bill, that was before the Senate of Kenya, seeking legal recognition of transgender people, to stop the stigma associated with transsexuality, that sex reassignment therapy be permitted and other changes concerning sex reassignment surgery.[4]

In 2014 Mbugua was nominated for the Dutch ministry of Foreign Affairs' Human Rights Tulip award for her activism.[2]

See also

References
  1. "BBC News - Kenya court victory for transgender activist Audrey Mbugua". BBC News. 7 October 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  2. "Transgender activist wins landmark case in Kenyan court". Reuters. 2014-10-07.
  3. "Kenya: Transgender activist wins landmark case to change her name on academic certificates". PinkNews. 2014-10-07.
  4. Agoya, Vincent (20 June 2016). "Transgender people seek legal recognition through Health Bill". Daily Nation. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  5. Chepkemei, Pamela (29 May 2013). "Andrew Mbugua in court struggle to alter name in certificates". The Standard (Kenya). Retrieved 27 November 2016.

Audrey Mbugua on Twitter

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