About me
Essy is the founder and Executive Director of INEND, an organisation that promotes the human rights of sexual and gender minorities in Kenya. Previously, she she led the development of a training programme and blueprint for sensitising religious leaders on compassion and love - a project that saw the most homophobic religious leaders in Mombasa turning to work with sexual and gender minorities. Essy has engaged with the judiciary, law enforcement officers, the media, and well-known perpetrators of violence towards sexual and gender minorities like motorcycle operators (boda bodas) and public transport (matatu) touts in shifting norms and changing narratives. Essy is a fellow of the Human Rights Advocates Programme at Columbia University (2014). She was featured in the HIVOS Bold and powerful women for change: East Africa’s campaign (2017); was an Upinde Awards Shujaa nominee (2017); a Human Rights defender of the year nominee (2017); and was shortlisted for the 2019 Accountability International Leadership Award, she is also the winner of 2022 Upinde Awards, Shujaa category. Her mantra is Eradicate hate Educate.
