Willy Munyoki Mutunga (born 16 June 1947) is a distinguished Kenyan jurist, intellectual, and social justice advocate who served as the first Chief Justice of Kenya and President of the Supreme Court of Kenya under the 2010 Constitution. His career is defined by a lifelong commitment to human rights, constitutional reform, and the transformation of the judiciary from an arm of government into a robust, independent institution. Born in Kilonzo, Nzambani, in Kitui District, Mutunga hails from a modest background. He attended local primary schools before attending Kitui School, and later, the prestigious Strathmore College in Nairobi. He pursued his undergraduate and master’s studies in law at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws in 1971 and a Master of Laws in 1974. During his time in Tanzania, he was deeply influenced by Pan-Africanist thinkers and socialist debates, which shaped his ideological outlook on justice and governance. He later earned a Doctorate in Jurisprudence from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University in Toronto, Canada, during his period of exile in the late 1980s. Mutunga’s professional career began in 1974 when he joined the University of Nairobi as a law lecturer, becoming one of the first indigenous Kenyans to teach constitutional law. During the 1970s and 1980s, he emerged as a vocal critic of the authoritarian administration under President Daniel arap Moi. His activism, particularly his role in the University Staff Union, led to his arrest and detention without trial for 16 months between 1982 and 1983. Following his release, he went into exile in Canada, where he continued to advocate for democratic change in Kenya. Upon his return, Mutunga became a central figure in Kenya’s civil society. He served as the Vice-Chairman (1991–1993) and Chairman (1993–1995) of the Law Society of Kenya, where he championed the use of the society as a platform for political reform. He was a founding member and executive director of the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and held significant leadership roles with the Ford Foundation, where he supported constitutional-building initiatives in East Africa. In 2011, Mutunga was selected by the Judicial Service Commission and subsequently appointed by President Mwai Kibaki as the Chief Justice of Kenya. His tenure, which lasted from June 2011 to June 2016, was transformative. Tasked with operationalizing the 2010 Constitution, he implemented the Judiciary Transformation Framework, an ambitious roadmap aimed at restoring public trust, eradicating corruption, reducing case backlogs, and expanding access to justice. He sought to decolonize the Kenyan legal system by emphasizing indigenous jurisprudence and human rights. After reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70, Mutunga retired from the judiciary in June 2016. Since his departure, he has remained active in public life, serving as the Commonwealth Special Envoy to the Maldives, a scholar-in-residence, and an adjunct professor. He continues to influence the national discourse through his writings on constitutionalism, social justice, and the ongoing need for democratic reforms in Kenya. Throughout his life, Mutunga has been recognized for his resilience, intellectual rigor, and unwavering advocacy for an equitable, people-centered legal system.