Article by John Gitonga, ICLD Alumni Coordinator
We are proud to highlight ICLD Alumni Ms. Vexinah Mueni who participated in ICLD training programme Inclusive Political leadership 2019-2020. The training helped her to become a Transparency Integrity award winner!
Ms. Vexinah Mueni comes from Machakos County, a Semi-Arid region in the lower Eastern part of Kenya. With a background in community mobilization and development, she has played a crucial role in uniting both state and non-state entities for community engagement and development planning.
Child rights defender and women’s rights champion
Initially, Vexinah began her career as a child rights defender and advocate, later transitioning into a women’s rights champion. Her journey in this field unfolded through her association with the Foundation for Women Rights in Kenya. Here, she passionately advocated for the implementation of the two-thirds gender rule in her region. Through her extensive interactions with women and children, she effectively voiced the rights, needs, and development priorities of women across various programs, encompassing health, climate change, water, education, and human rights.
In the realm of human rights, Vexinah played a pivotal role during the COVID-19 pandemic. She identified individuals whose rights were violated and assisted them in seeking justice. Her commendable efforts during this period were acknowledged in the KHRC COVID-19 Report 2020, highlighting her success in human rights actions.
In the arena of climate change, Vexinah collaborated with women in innovation, agriculture, and water. This dedication led to her election as the National Gender and Capacity Building Thematic Convener of the Kenya Climate Change Working Group (KCCWG). Additionally, she served as the National Vice Secretary on the NSC of KCCWG. Through KCCWG, she contributed to the FLLOCA program under the National Treasury, acting as part of the monitoring team.
Championing governance issues, particularly in social accountability, Vexinah established the Neema Foundation. Partnering with both local and international organizations such as Transparency International Kenya, International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), and Institution of Economic Affairs (IEA), her organization monitored government projects and public funds, employing tools like community scorecards, social audits, and community petitions in Machakos County. Notably, her relentless efforts led to legal victories, preventing the loss of funds to corruption.
Acknowledging her dedication, the County Government of Machakos nominated Vexinah to participate in the ICLD training programme: Inclusive Political leadership (IPL 2019-2020) under the mentorship of John Gitonga. The training enhanced her knowledge and skills, evident in her recent achievement as the National Awardee of the National Transparency Integrity Award 2023. This recognition by TI Kenya reflects her exemplary work in promoting integrity and accountability within and beyond Machakos County.
We at ICLD wish Madam Vexinah well in your endeavors to support improved local democracy at local level!