Patricia Kameri-Mbote

Professor Patricia Kameri-Mbote is a distinguished academic and legal scholar at the School of Law, University of Nairobi, where she has taught for over 30 years and served as Dean. She is the Founding Research Director of the Institute for Environment and Legal Research (IELRC) and Chair of the Association of Environmental Law Lecturers in African Universities (ASSELLAU).

• University of Nairobi (LLB)
• University of Warwick
• University of Zimbabwe
• Stanford Law School (PhD)

Her research spans environmental law, gender equity, land rights, and constitutional development. Her work examines the intersection of formal and customary law in Africa, with a focus on women's rights and sustainable resource management.

Recent publications analyze soil protection frameworks, COVID-19's gendered impacts, and water governance. She specializes in plural legal systems and post-colonial constitutional reform.

Scientific Awards

• Senior Counsel (2012)
• Elder of the Burning Spear (EBS) (2015)
• Higher Doctorate from University of Nairobi (2019)
• Honorary Law Degree from University of Oslo (2017)
• Honored by Harvard Law School (2019)

As Programme Director for Africa at IELRC and a member of the IUCN Commission on Environmental Law, her career bridges academia, policy-making, and international legal reform.