PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK: Patricia Nyaundi

I have gathered that one of your favourite things is speaking to young people. Why does this demographic interest you?

Because young people are at a very delicate stage of their lives and the decisions that they make at this point have far-reaching consequences. That is why, whenever I can; I spend a lot of time trying to persuade them to put into practice what they learn in school or what they are taught by their parents. Had I listened and taken action on everything that I was told when I was a youngster, I would probably be doing a lot better.

There is extreme profiling of young people (as criminals) in slums in this country. How is your commission dealing with this issue? How can youth who have been wrongly profiled get help?

The law is very clear that one can only be labelled a criminal after they have gone through the due process. As a commission, we take a rights-based approach to everything, and if you have been affected by wrongful police profiling, you are encouraged to visit any of our offices and make a report. We have offices in Nairobi, Mombasa, Wajir, Kitale and Laikipia. You can also reach us through the short code: 22359. We are also very active on social media, so you can drop us a line there.

You seem to have only held big positions in your career; you were previously the executive director of the Federation for Women Lawyers and were the C.E.O of the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission.

I did not walk straight from a college classroom to become an executive director. After law school, I started by working as a state counsel, then as a public prosecutor. What I did at the beginning and which has helped me greatly has been investing in my reputation as a reliable worker. This paid a lot of dividends and has been instrumental in my move up in my career. Some of the lessons that I got during my beginnings is that nothing is ever wasted because the movements I made in my career were influenced by the friendships that I made at the start.

One of my seniors, when I was starting out for example, taught me the importance of simply being professional with anyone that I interact with – young or old. In our field, your junior today will be your peer tomorrow; this has nothing to do with age, competency is the main distinguisher. Because of that initial experience, today, I am open to learn from interns.

You put women’s rights at the centre of what you do. Why?

Basically because women are the essence of humanity

“Women Rights” is a phrase that is sometimes associated with women breaking ‘taboos’ and going against that which is ‘traditionally right’. What is your take on this perception?

My fight for women rights is informed by my deeply religious roots. God created both male and female and declared that they are all equal in value. I see my fight for womens’ rights as that of restoring the status of the woman to what was originally designed by God. Some people have historically created barriers and chosen to educate boys at the expense of the girl or that only men can take up certain technical subjects.

This has gotten into the brains of certain members of the society as a truth. This is misleading. The feminist struggle must be seen as challenging man-made obstacles and opening up the society by ridding it of barriers.

What do you think is the greatest challenge in the quest for human rights protection in Kenya?

The failure of the society to appreciate the importance of embracing human rights is for me the greatest challenge. This is occasioned by the misconception that human rights is a license to accommodate what goes against African values.

Are there opportunities in your organisation for young people?

Yes, we offer one-year internships for graduates in all disciplines. This is usually in April. We also offer short-term attachments for students - these are usually advertised on need basis. Keep an ear out there and constantly check our website for the vacancies that arise.

You seem to me that you had a very spiritual courtship – listening to church sermons with your husband and going to church together; it turned out to be a successful college romance story. Now tell me, what do you think is wrong with today’s college romances? We keep reading about young couples killing each other.

I think the problem with many relationships stems from investing too much, too soon, so that when a relationship ends, it feels like a do or die affair. Trying to find yourself in someone else is also one of the problems as well as rushing to be in relationships just to fit in. High incidences of drug abuse, which lead to impaired judgement, also has a role to play.

I read somewhere that you changed your faith to be with the man that you love. Just how far can a young woman go for love?

For me, love is a very practical thing. I reasoned out my faith and realised that his faith was not different from mine and that if we were to start a family, then there were certain reasonable compromises that had to be made. I think they go as far as where reason reaches.

Do you have any regrets?

Yes. I wish that I had spoken up much earlier or louder concerning the issues that I was passionate about. I also feel that I should have been firmer with certain things.