PALU Secretariat

Donald Omondi Deya (Kenya)

Chief Executive Officer

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Among other things, he chairs the Executive Committees of the Pan African Citizens’ Network (PACIN), formerly known as the Centre for Citizens’ Participation in the African Union (CCP AU) and the International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect. He is a former Chair of the African Court Coalition and is also a Councillor (and former Secretary) of the African Forum of the International Bar Association. He is also a former member of the Executive Committee of the International Institute of Law Association Chief Executives .

Mr. Deya is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, and was previously the CEO of the East Africa Law Society (EALS), and, before that, Deputy CEO of the Law Society of Kenya. He has also worked with the Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists. While at the EALS, he founded the East African Civil Society Organizations’ Forum.

He litigates extensively at the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the East African Court of Justice. Don has engaged in advocacy with several organs and institutions of the African Union, African Development Bank, African Legal Support Facility, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and the East African Community amongst others. Mr. Deya also engages the United Nations system and the International Criminal Court.

Francois. J. Godbout (Canada)

Director of Programmes

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François J. Godbout is a practicing lawyer admitted to the Quebec Bar Association since 2002 and a holder of Masters’ Degree in International Relations. Since June 2010, he is the Director of Programmes at PALU. Also, François is handling financial oversight responsibilities, as Acting Director of Finance and Administration. Before joining PALU, Mr. Godbout was Head of Programmes at the East Africa Law Society (EALS) from 2007 to 2010.

These two positions (PALU and EALS) have provided the opportunity of working with high-level officers of African intergovernmental organizations, with the leadership and membership of Bar Associations and Law Societies throughout the continent, and with a wide-range of civil society organizations internationally. Mr. Godbout has considerable international experience in managing multi-agency projects, managing change processes and providing team leadership, particularly on the African continent and more specifically in the East African Region.

Mr. Godbout also undertook various consultancy projects since 2004 both in Canada and Africa, including in design and implementation of social survey instruments and policy and legal research. Mr. Godbout was finally Legal Assistant (Defence Team) from June 2011 to June 2012 at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and contributed to dozens of successful human rights’ cases before the East African Court of Justice and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Esther Muigai-Mnaro (Kenya)

Programme Manager, Office of the CEO

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Esther Muigai-Mnaro is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya. In 2012, she was admitted to the Kenya Bar and remains in good standing. She is an active Litigator, holding over 8 years of post-admission experience such as litigating widely before the Kenya National Courts and currently litigating before the East African Court of Justice as well the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Esther provides gratis legal counsel to diverse organisations and initiatives focused on economic empowerment, good governance , rule of law as well as legal education. Esther holds a Bachelor of Law degree from Kampala International University in Uganda and she is pursuing her graduate legal studies.

Nelson Sidney Ndeki (Tanzania)

Programme Officer/Advocate, Human and Peoples’ Rights Programme

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Nelson Sidney Ndeki is a Programme Officer/Advocate under Human and Peoples’ Rights Programme at PALU, where he practiced before the national courts of the United Republic of Tanzania, the East African Court of Justice and the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights for the past four years. He has experience in strategic litigation and fair trial cases. His recent cases include defending: individual facing the mandatory death penalty, fair trial rights, freedom of expression and assembly, freedom of press, principles rule of law and good governance.

Mr. Ndeki is a registered pro bono counsel under the Legal Aid Scheme of the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights since 2016. Prior to joining PALU, Mr. Ndeki was a legal freelancer defending individuals accused of murder, drug trafficking, minor offenses such as traffic cases and unfair termination cases. Mr. Ndeki is a member of the Tanganyika Law Society and East African Law Society.

Kasichana. R.Mumba (Kenya)

Programme Officer-Office of the CEO

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Kasichana is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya since 2016, a certified Mediator and is currently the Programme Officer – Office of the Chief Executive Officer at PALU since May 2018. She is also currently in charge of Membership and is a member of the Communications Department at PALU.

Prior to joining PALU in 2018, she was the Team Leader of a Non-Governmental Organisation in Mombasa known as Fatuma’s Voice, as well as having led the Artist Department for the Storymoja Festival in 2017. She is a human rights activist and an advocate for Digital Rights in the East African Region.

Rangarirai Chikova (Zimbabwe)

Economic Governance Officer

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Rangarirai Chikova is the Economic Governance Officer within PALU’s Good Governance and Rule of Law Portfolio. His responsibilities focus on programme planning, coordinating and reporting, policy research and analysis for the Economic Governance theme. He holds an Honors Degree in Public Administration from University of Zimbabwe and a master’s degree in Governance and Public Policy from University of Passau, Germany. Mr Chikova is also a fellow at the African Good Governance Network which is a group of highly educated academics and practitioners dedicated to good governance principles.

Prior to joining PALU, Rangarirai worked for the Zimbabwe Coalition On Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) as a Programme Officer and the African Forum And Network On Debt and Development (AFRODAD) as the Domestic Resources Mobilisation Lead where he acquired vast experience and knowledge in policy advocacy and influence. His areas of interest are mineral resources governance, illicit financial flows and tax justice. Over the years Ranga has produced several publications and blog articles on the above-mentioned topics.

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Filsan Abdillahi Elmi Ainan (Tanzania)

Associate Legal Officer, African International Law

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Filsan Abdillahi Elmi Ainan is an Associate Legal Officer and Advocate of the High Court of Tanzania working under the African International Law programme at PALU. She conducts legal research for PALU cases before the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights and the East African Court of Justice. She is also involved in advocacy surrounding the death penalty.

Ms. Ainan holds an LLB from Tumaini University Dar es Salaam College and a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law School of Tanzania. Ms. Ainan is a member of the Tanganyika Law Society.

Brian Wilfred Mossi (Tanzania)

Finance Officer

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Brian Mossi is an experienced Finance Officer with a demonstrated record of working in the Tanzanian legal services industry. Mr. Mossi is experienced in programming, budgeting, finance and accounting responsibilities as well as human resource management and administrative responsibilities. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree (with a specialised focus in Business Administration and Management) from the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute Business School. Also, he holds a Bachelors of Commerce degree (Accounting specialisation) from the University of Dar es Salaam.

Japhet Azza Mkiramweni (Tanzania)

Finance Officer

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Japhet Azza is a Certified Public Accountant, having taught at the university level in Tanzania. Currently, Mr. Azza is pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree. At PALU, he leads on overall accounting and financial reporting, cash management, budgets and administration.

Zainab Ramadhani (Tanzania)

Office Assistant

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Ms Zainab Ramadhani is the Office Assistant at PALU and has been with the organisation for the past four years. She ensures the smooth running of the office on a day-to-day basis and manages administrative activities of the office.

Adam Chhatbar (Tanzania)

Associate IT Officer

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Madiwa Abdul Hoza (Tanzania)

Communications and Information Technology Officer

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Madiwa joins PALU with close to a decade of experience in Marketing Communications and is expected to improve communications at the institution and add significant value to membership services. Prior to his new role as Communication and IT Officer at PALU, Madiwa worked as the Communications and Marketing Specialist at the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation, the apex body for the private sector.

Madiwa is also currently pursuing his MBA at the University of Dar es Salaam. Madiwa’s versatility in engaging diverse members and stakeholders has led to the sustainability of organisations he has worked at, as well as numerous policy reforms.

“I look forward to my new role at PALU towards promoting good governance, upholding the rule of law and protection of human rights and civil liberties.”