Dr. Mugambi Laibuta.
Advocate of the High Court of Kenya | Certified Information Privacy Manager | Policy and Legislative Counsel.
Background & Expertise
Mugambi Laibuta completed his PhD in Law at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. His doctoral research focused on the right to privacy and data protection in Kenya, with a thesis titled Adequacy of Data Protection Regulation in Kenya.
A Chevening Scholar, Mugambi holds a Master of Laws degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science, where he specialised in Human Rights Law and International Commercial Arbitration. He also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law and a Bachelor of Laws degree from Moi University.
Mugambi is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, a trained mediator, legislative and policy analyst, technology compliance professional, and a Certified Information Privacy Manager. He has extensive expertise in data protection, technology governance, AI policy and compliance, cybersecurity governance, digital rights, and the regulation of emerging technologies.
He provides consultancy and advisory services in policy development, governance, the rule of law, constitutionalism and institutional reforms, legislative drafting, project management, monitoring and evaluation, ethics and sustainability, data protection, AI governance and compliance, technology policy and law, and business development.
Mugambi currently teaches Legal Writing and Legislative Drafting at the Kenya School of Law.
He advises private-sector, public-sector, intergovernmental, international, regional, civil society and academic institutions on compliance with internationally recognised data protection principles and evolving legal and regulatory requirements relating to technology and artificial intelligence.
He previously served as Director of Legal Affairs and Acting Director for Health at the Council of Governors. Notably, he served as the lead legal adviser to county governments during the 2017 health workers’ industrial action crisis.
For more than 13 years, Mugambi has played an instrumental role in protecting Kenya’s digital space. He has represented and advised bloggers, journalists and institutions on protecting, promoting and expanding freedom of expression, freedom of the press and access to information. He also trains lawyers, journalists and digital content creators on internet and technology law across East Africa.
As a constitutional and institutional reforms specialist, Mugambi has contributed to constitutional review and reform processes in Kenya, South Sudan, Somalia, Chile and Sudan. He has also worked on diverse projects in Rwanda, Zambia, the Gambia, Burkina Faso, Ukraine, UNICEF, UNODC, and UNDP.