Staff
Odindo Opiata – Executive Director
Opiata founded Hakijamii in 2004 to respond to the needs of the communities in gaining economic, social and cultural rights. He is a member of the National Eviction Guidelines Task Force, the Law Society of Kenya, and the East Africa Law Society. He is also on the Technical Advisory Panel for UN-Habitat’s Advisory Group on Forced Evictions, Chairperson of Pamoja Trust, and a founding member of the International Network on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESRC-NET). Previously, he was the Co-coordinator of Legal Services and Community Partnerships at Kituo Cha Sheria, where he undertook a number of public interest litigation cases and has extensive experience in working with local communities on human rights issues. He holds a Bachelor of Law degree, in addition to attending a number of human rights trainings. He has LLB (Hons) degree from the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Programs and Community Outreach
Elijah Odhiambo – Program Director
Elijah oversees and manages the different programs and activities run at Hakijamii. He is a member of the Boards of Shelter Forum and Kenya Land Alliance, both leading housing and land rights networks in Kenya. Previously he worked as a Senior Community Program Officer at Kituo Cha Sheria. He has extensive expertise in community organization and human rights training and has attended various trainings on economic, social and housing rights. He has attended several international conferences on human rights and holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master’s degree in Gender Studies.
Christine Wanjiro – Land and Housing Program Officer
Christine coordinates Hakijamii’s work in monitoring and publicizing violations of land and housing rights of the urban poor. She documents cases of housing rights violations, writes numerous publications, and uses her extensive contacts in the media to publicize injustice and educate the community. Christine has worked in a number of organizations, including the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency (SIDA) and the Office of Public Communications in the Government of Kenya. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.
Marcy Kadenyeka – Community Outreach and Education Program Officer
Marcy is responsible for representing Hakijamii in different forums, assisting in community trainings, mobilizing community partners for activities, and establishing strong links and networks with NGOs, community groups, and other strategic partners. Marcy has been a leader in mobilizing marginalized communities, mainly from the people’s settlements (slums) of Nairobi. From Kibera herself, she previously worked with Christ the King Community Church as a Civic Education Facilitator for 5 years. Additionally, she was the chairperson for Nairobi People’s Settlement Network in 2005.
Water and Sanitation Program Officer
Finance and Adminstration
Lucy Baraza – Finance and Administrative Officer
Lucy is responsible for the accounting and finances at Hakijamii. While working for Hakijamii, Lucy has acquired expertise in designing program budgets, donor reporting, human resource management, and office administration. She has attended a number of trainings including new tax regulations courses and project planning, designing and implementation. She has also conducted a number of community trainings on financial management. She has had vast experience as an accountant in various organizations. Lucy is a Certified Public Accountant and is currently pursuing a Degree in Business Administration and a Diploma in Project Management.
Peter Kariuki – Accounts Officer
Peter joined Hakijamii in 2009 and is responsible for sourcing and analyzing supplies for operations; updating and tracking cash flow statements; preparing and monitoring payments, accounts, and payroll; and formulating end of the year Kenya Revenue Authority returns, in addition to other accounting operations necessary for Hakijamii to run smoothly. Currently pursuing his final CPA 111 studies of the Certified Public Accountants, Peter provides vital support in the accounting department to ensure the organization’s records are up to date.
Ann Ogada – Administrative Officer
Anne is in charge of managing the office, including coordinating between the different programs, scheduling meetings, and managing the office databases. She has a diploma in Business Management and Information Technology and previously worked as a receptionist/administrative assistant in a number of organizations.
Research and Advocacy
Nelly Chelagat – Monitoring and Evaluation Officer
Nelly joined Hakijamii in 2010 and is responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of Hakijamii’s various programs and provides necessary technical support to all M & E processes. She previously worked with other non-governmental organizations, gaining experience in experience in program monitoring and evaluation of advocacy work/ policy influence. She has attended numerous trainings on human rights and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education and a Master of Arts degree in Demography from the University of Nairobi.
Research Officer
Media and Publicity Officer
