JustAct is led by a small Nairobi-based team and guided by a board of legal, environmental, and civic-action experts committed to protecting Kenya's environment.
Akshay Vishwanath strives to solve some of our greatest natural resource problems through leadership, empowerment, social justice and entrepreneurial initiatives.
Beyond his work at JustAct, Akshay volunteers with several groups and campaigns that seek to protect public green spaces in Kenya and strengthen good governance of these resources. He was in the leadership of the Friends of Nairobi National Park from 2013-2018, during which time he was the lead coordinator of the SaveNNP Campaign which sought to protect the Nairobi National Park from infrastructure development such as the Standard Gauge Railway. He now serves as an advisor to the Friends of Oloolua Forest.
Akshay previously worked at Maliasili, an organization that supports leading African conservation organizations become even better through leaderhsip training and organizational development. Prior to that, Akshay worked at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for close to a decade implementing conservation projects across Eastern and Southern Africa.
Akshay has an MBA from the African Leadership University, a MSc in Environmental Studies from Macquarie University (Australia) and a BSc in Environmental Studies from Bangalore University (India). Akshay was selected one of the Top 100 Young African Conservation Leaders in March 2021 by a collaboration between the Africa
Alliance of YMCAs, World Organization of the Scout Movement, African Wildlife Foundation, and WWF.
Kentice Tikolo has over 20 years’ experience in Strategic Public Relations & Communication Management, having grown through the ranks to Head of Corporate Communications for the Kenya Wildlife Service. This is in addition to 10 years progressive research, administrative and management experience in various multi-cultural settings. Currently chairman of the Football Federation of Kenya’s Electoral Board, she is a former Chairman of the Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK), and Africa’s delegate-at-large on the board of the Global Alliance for PR & Communication Management.
Passionate about social causes, Kentice conceptualised and implemented Beyond Zero and the First Lady’s Half Marathon in 2014. She has since developed several initiatives as the Managing Director and Founder of Cause Impact (previously Impact Africa) Limited - a strategic PR & Communication Management company. Besides leading development of various research-informed communication strategies, she has supported various social impact initiatives such as development of Kenya’s Highway Code, New Drivers’ Curriculum and Handbooks – for the National Transport Safety Authority; Management of Aflatoxin, for the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA); the first AGRF in Arusha; Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), among several others. She has facilitated communication training for various organisations, including International Development Research Centre (IDRC), International Cancer Institute (ICI), UNICEF, UNDP, and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), among others.
Kentice has been conferred the Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW) recognition, Golden Honours PRSK Award for excellence, a silver medal from the Government of Ethiopia for her role as the coordinator in ensuring the success of ICASA conference in 2011, and a PRSK award for the best not-for-profit campaign - Kenya’s First Lady’s Half Marathon and Beyond Zero. She teaches strategic communication at the University of Nairobi, where she is currently pursuing a PhD in Climate Change & Adaptation (Policy and Communication).
Andrew is an independent Non-Executive Director and a member of the actuarial profession. His experience spans over 15 years within the financial services sector as a consultant as well as a leader in a multinational insurance company where, he served in various capacities including heading the Actuarial and Product Development functions which were involved in strategy and financial business planning and later leading the Marketing, Communications and Customer Experience functions for East Africa.
Andrew is currently a business consultant at Three Strands Consulting and has a passion for the success of SMEs in Africa and seeks to support new and existing businesses in developing financial and business plans that lead to profitability and sustainability. He is also a Director with Lux Actuaries & Consultants responsible for providing consulting to Life and General Insurance companies in the areas of Enterprise Risk Management and IFRS 17 implementation.
He holds a Bachelor of Business Science Degree - Actuarial Science (special field) from the University of Cape Town, South Africa and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the African Leadership University School of Business (ALUSB) in Kigali, Rwanda.
Andrew is a member of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (UK), a certified Arbitrator and Mediator with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and a certified Independent Non-Executive Director with the Sirdar Group.
Marion Kago is a seasoned Strategic Consultant and Advisor with over 20 years’ experience in finance, operations, and organizational leadership, supporting high-growth and mission-driven organizations across Africa. She has held senior executive roles including Vice President of Operations & Finance, Head of Finance, and General Manager, leading enterprise-wide finance, governance, compliance, and operational functions through periods of growth, sustainability planning, and scale. Her sector experience spans healthcare, hospitality, and social impact, navigating complex and resource-constrained environments.
Marion currently serves as Independent Director & Board member Chairing the Governance and Risk Committee at Oasis Hospital, Kakamega, and is a former Board Member and Director at Nyuki Hubs, a social for-profit enterprise under Christian Aid. She provides strategic advisory and consultancy support to boards and executive teams, strengthening governance frameworks, financial oversight, risk management, and sustainability strategies to enable organizations to scale responsibly and deliver lasting impact.
Passionate about leadership development and social impact, Marion actively mentors youth and women and is a published co-author of How We Rise and Thrive. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), holds an MBA in Strategic Management, and has completed the Senior Management Leadership Program at Strathmore Business School. Her work emphasizes ethical leadership, prudent stewardship of resources, and building resilient, well-governed, and sustainable organizations.
Dr. Conrad M. Bosire was the Chief of Staff, Office of the Chief Justice, and the Acting Executive Director of the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) between May 2018 and January 2021. As the Chief of Staff Dr. Bosire was in charge of administration and leadership of the team in the Office of the Chief Justice as well as policy and legal advice. Dr. Bosire was in charge of the preparation of the Annual report of the State of the Judiciary and Administration of Justice, an annual report that contains the covers the activities of the Judiciary as well as the entire justice sector.
Previously, Dr. Bosire was the Director of Research at the Katiba Institute in Nairobi and was a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, focusing on the area comparative research in multilevel governance. A lawyer by primary profession, Dr. Bosire has extensive training and experience in law, governance, democracy and human rights. Dr. Bosire’s doctoral research analysed (using Kenya's new devolved system of government as a case study) how subnational governments can, through constitutional design, pursue development, peace and limited and democratic central government.
Dr Bosire holds a Master of Laws Degree in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa from the University of Pretoria and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Federalism and Devolution from the Institute of Federalism at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. He has advised state and non-state institutions on issues of devolved governance in both Kenya and South Africa. These include: the Provincial Government of the Western Cape (South Africa), the Judiciary (Kenya), Transition Authority (Kenya), the Council of Governors (Kenya), State University of New York (SUNY-Kenya programme), the International Development Law Organisation (IDLO), the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA-Kenya), Commission on Implementation of the Constitution (Kenya), Office of the Auditor General (Kenya) among other institutions.
Laura Wamunyu is a senior technology and delivery leader with over 20 years of experience working across the financial services and technology sectors. She has built her career delivering complex enterprise and financial systems through roles in banking and leading IT services organizations, supporting large-scale institutional transformation across the region.
Throughout her career, Laura has led end-to-end implementations of mission-critical platforms, ensuring operational readiness, regulatory alignment, and measurable impact. Her leadership spans enterprise CRM and customer systems, core financial platforms, and large-scale digital transformation initiatives that have improved organizational performance and customer outcomes. She is known for her structured approach to delivery governance, her ability to guide complex multi-stakeholder engagements, and her commitment to fostering collaborative environments that drive strategic objectives.
Laura holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems and Technology from United States International University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration from Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University. She is currently completing a Master of Business Administration with a focus on strategy and leadership.
Felix is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya with passion for Education Law and Environmental and Natural Resources Law. He describes himself as life's ever optimistic student full of hope for an ever better tomorrow improved by our own respective efforts! Felix currently a Managing Partner at Managing Partner at Japheth Kenvine Felix & Smith Advocates LLP. He is also a Law Lecturer at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa and an Examiner for the Council of Legal Education (CLE). Previously he has served in various capacities in several legal firms and has also served as a State Counsel in the Office of the Attorney-General of the Republic of Kenya
and Department of Justice.
Felix has the following academic Qualifications:
Jharna is a seasoned Finance Professional with 25 years of experience spanning Strategy, Operations, Finance, Risk Management, and Compliance. Jharna started her career at an international audit firm, BDO East Africa, where she rose to the position of Partner in Audit & Business Advisory Services. She then joined I&M Bank as part of the CEO’s Office, where she was part of the core team driving I&M Bank’s regional expansion, capital raising, and ultimately the listing of I&M Holdings on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. Jharna continued her journey with I&M Group in a different avatar, joining I&M Burbidge Capital as Vice President – Corporate Finance & Operations, overseeing the organization's operations and handling large, sensitive M&A and capital-raising transactions.
Jharna has a BSc in Economics, Banking and Finance from the University of London, is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, UK, and a Member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya. She is fluent in 6 languages.
Over the last few years, after taking charge of her own health and well-being, Jharna trained to become a Certified Performance Coach. She regularly coaches people who participate in the health and wellbeing programs offered by FITBANKER and is passionate about raising awareness of the health and wellbeing issues faced by women. She regularly speaks on these topics, especially Perimenopause and Menopause.
Jharna has a deep love and appreciation for art and craft, and is an avid quilter and embroiderer, taking part in local and international quilt festivals. Places of natural beauty are a balm to her; she enjoys hiking, having summited Mount Kilimanjaro, and is keen to raise awareness of the conservation of our environment and natural habitats. She also loves to shake a leg, something that is best done with good company.
George Kogolla is a Kenyan development practitioner with 20 years of progressive development experience, having served across several local and international development and cultural relations organizations. George’s expertise lies in strategy, youth development, organisational development, project management, partnerships and business development.
Currently serving the International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX) as its Bilateral Funding Lead for IREX, George manages funding relationships with non-US government funding agencies. Prior to IREX, George worked for the British Council in Kenya, serving as the Director Programmes and Partnerships, providing programmatic oversight to a portfolio of programmes across education, skills development, and social enterprise.
George is also the Executive Director for Carolina for Kibera an international NGO based in Nairobi affiliated to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was tasked with providing leadership and strategic direction at a point of rapid growth for the organisation. George’s development career started when he co-founded out of university, a youth empowerment organisation Youth Alive! Kenya (YAK). George served as the Executive Director of YAK between 2001 and 2009 transforming the organization into a powerhouse in youth empowerment in Kenya and the wider East African region.
George is fascinated by the intersection between public sector and business in the notion of public interest; a middle ground where both public resources and private efforts can work together for public good.
He holds a Master of Public Administration – International Development (MPA-ID) from the University of York, UK and serves in voluntary capacity as a trustee for the CHANGE Trust a local children’s charitable trust and as the Vice Chair to the Board of Directors for Empower & Serve Kenya, a national youth-serving non governmental organization working in Kenya.
Richard is a a Human Resources Professional with more than 25 years of hands-on experience in handling Institutional Operations with specific focus on Human Resource Management, Finance and Administration. Richard is currently the co-founder and Executive Director of Eco-World Excursions, a tour operator promoting affordable domestic and international tourism. He has had various roles with the NGOs, CBOs, and organizations such as the South-West Indian Ocean Tuna (SWIOTUNA), Old Starehian Society (OSS), Starehe Boys’ Centre and School (SBC), and Community Action for Nature Conservation (CANCO). Richard served in various capacities at the East African WildLife Society (EAWLS) from 1990 to 2016, which included being a Shop Assistant, Membership Assistant, Senior Accounts Assistant, Administrative Assistant and Administrator, and finally Head of Operation responsible for Human Resource Management and Administration.
Irũngũ Houghton is a leading African human rights advocate known for his fearless commitment to justice, integrity and accountability. With more than three decades of experience in civic leadership, governance reform, public policy, and citizen engagement, he most recently served as Executive Director of Amnesty International Kenya from 2018 to June 2026. Irũngũ is also a columnist, author of "Dialogue and Dissent: A Constitution in Search of a Country", and an award-winning strategist whose work bridges grassroots activism and global human rights discourse.
He has worked with several leading global NGOs including ActionAid and Oxfam. He is the founding Chairperson of the Kilimani Community Foundation, a residents association dedicated to building livable communities. His award-winning public interest campaigns have been recognized by the African Union, NEPAD, Nation Media Group, and others. A prolific writer and speaker, Irũngũ has published over 600 Op-Eds and is a trusted analyst for Kenyan and international media. He holds degrees from the University of Dar es Salaam and the School of Oriental and African Studies University of London.
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