Carolyne Kamende: A Story of Resilience, Leadership and Excellence

 

"Excellence is not an act, but a habit" - Aristotle

Carolyne Kamende Daudi is a name that inspires admiration and respect among many Kenyans. Her story is one of resilience, leadership, and excellence. From humble beginnings in a village in Kilungu, Machakos County, Carolyne Kamende rose to become an advocate of the high court of Kenya and a champion of public interest litigation.

Growing up, Carolyne Kamende saw the suffering of people who faced injustice because they could not afford legal representation. This made her believe that there is power in knowing the law, and if you cannot afford legal service, it often leads to injustice. This made her a fighter and put the fire and passion to change things, and to date, a lot of the legal work she does is pro bono.

Carolyne Kamende has had an illustrious 19-year career as an advocate of the high court of Kenya. As an advocate, she has championed major litigation cases in public interest. She has specialized in Family, Arbitration, Commercial, Constitutional, and Criminal law. She has a passion to create change.

Carolyne Kamende has been a leader and a mentor to many advocates and non-advocates who have worked with her. She has led the Law Society of Kenya in various capacities, the most recent being the 49th LSK Vice President. During her tenure as LSK Vice President, she introduced major reforms, including the antibullying and sexual harassment policy to protect advocates from harassment at the workplace and Policare which streamlined the relationship between advocates and law enforcement officers ensuring advocates do their work without undue harassment by law enforcement officers.

In February of this year, Carolyne Kamende contested to become President of the Law Society of Kenya, which was her second attempt at it. Unfortunately, she finished third in a heated race of five advocates. However, following the announcement of the result, she accepted it with grace and acknowledged that she actually did well.

A few days later, President William Ruto nominated her to be the Kenyan High Commissioner in Ottawa, Canada. She went through the parliamentary vetting process, which she passed, and was finally appointed as the Kenyan High Commissioner to Canada.

Carolyne Kamende's story is a testament to the power of resilience, leadership, and excellence. She has shown that with hard work, determination, and a strong spiritual foundation, anything is possible. As she takes up her new diplomatic role, she has the task of further solidifying the Kenya-Canada relations to ensure that Kenya not only benefits in terms of trade, education, climate change, and others, but also remains a dependable partner at the global level.

Through Carolyne Kamende, doors of opportunities will open for Kenyans to explore abroad and contribute to the development of Kenya. We wish her all the best and say congratulations on this milestone. May she go and conquer. 

By Victor Patience Oyuko 0708883777