Cecilia Anyesi Wakoli is a Principal Prosecution Counsel and Deputy Head of the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Division at Kenya’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). Before her studies, she worked as a Prosecution Counsel in Kwale County, where she handled cases of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV). Nationally, the scale of the challenge was severe, with 170 women murdered in 2024 alone, making it the deadliest year on record for femicide in Kenya.
Summary
Through an Australia Awards Africa scholarship, Cecilia completed a Master of Public Policy at RMIT University in 2024, gaining new skills in evidence-based policymaking, governance, research, policy analysis, and implementation. She played a key role in drafting the Report on the Technical Working Group on Gender-Based Violence Including Femicide (November 2025), which was tabled before the President of Kenya, and advocated for femicide to be recognised as a stand-alone offence under Kenyan law. In partnership with UNFPA and other justice sector actors, she also contributed to training approximately 200 justice sector actors across four counties in northern Kenya, and contributed to a nationwide prison decongestion exercise in which over 1,000 petty offenders were released.
Beyond government work, Cecilia serves as Director at Just be a Child Kenya, where she leads literacy initiatives such as Rural Reading Rooms supporting marginalised communities through book donations, libraries, and educational materials. Through alumni networks, mentorship, writing, and advocacy, Cecilia continues to expand the impact of her Australia Awards experience across Kenya and beyond.
A prosecutor confronting gender-based violence
Before receiving her Australia Awards Scholarship, Cecilia worked as a prosecutor in Kwale County, where cases of SGBV were widespread and deeply rooted in social inequalities, poverty, and harmful cultural practices.
Handling these cases daily, Cecilia realised that prosecution alone was not enough to address the systemic drivers of violence against women and girls. Stronger policies, evidence-based interventions, stakeholder collaboration, and preventive approaches were urgently needed. The Australia Awards Scholarship gave Cecilia the opportunity to pursue a Master of Public Policy at RMIT University in Melbourne beginning in January 2023.
The scale of the crisis
Data from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) revealed the scale of the crisis: around 12 to 13 per cent of girls in Kenya were married before the age of 18, while approximately 15 per cent of girls aged 15 to 19 dropped out of school due to teenage pregnancies. In Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) regions, SGBV prevalence stood at approximately 38 per cent, with teenage pregnancies reaching as high as 50 per cent in some communities.
Gaining policy skills in Australia
In Australia, Cecilia gained practical knowledge in policy making, policy analysis, evidence-based decision making, governance, public sector reform, research, evaluation, and collaborative leadership. Her experience extended beyond the classroom. Cecilia worked for one year at the Office of Public Prosecutions in Melbourne, where she strengthened her professional skills in case management, public sector efficiency, and service delivery. She also worked as a tutor at RMIT University, mentoring fellow students and Australia Awards scholars while building confidence in leadership, communication, and research.
She later volunteered with the Australian Red Cross in aged care services, an experience that deepened her commitment to vulnerable communities and strengthened her people-centered leadership approach.
Influencing national policy on femicide
Cecilia returned to Kenya in December 2024 with new skills, networks and confidence, and with a determination to influence change beyond the courtroom. Today, she serves as Principal Prosecution Counsel and Deputy Head of the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Division at the ODPP, where she leads prosecutions, advises on policy, mentors junior prosecutors, and coordinates with national and international stakeholders.
In November 2025, Cecilia participated in drafting the Report on the Technical Working Group on Gender-Based Violence Including Femicide. Developed through the State Department for Gender, and tabled before the President, the report addressed Kenya’s growing femicide crisis and proposed stronger legal and policy interventions. Cecilia specifically advocated for femicide to be recognised as a stand-alone criminal offence in Kenya, arguing that existing legal frameworks were insufficient to respond to the growing number of killings targeting women.
Cecilia also contributed to strengthening justice responses in northern Kenya. Working alongside UNFPA, UNICEF, the Judiciary, the National Police Service, and other agencies, she contributed to training approximately 200 justice sector actors across Wajir, Mandera, Marsabit, and Garissa Counties. The three-day training sessions focused on SGBV prevention, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), child marriage prevention, survivor-centered justice approaches, and multi-sectoral collaboration. These counties face multiple overlapping challenges including climate change, food insecurity, conflict, displacement, and terrorism threats, making women and girls particularly vulnerable.
Her justice sector work has also extended beyond SGBV. In September 2025, Cecilia participated in a nationwide prison decongestion initiative, where collaboration between the Judiciary and the ODPP resulted in the release of over 1,000 petty offenders across Kenya.
Ebby Maswai, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions at the ODPP, has seen the impact of this work first hand. He confirmed that Cecilia used the skills gained through Australia Awards to influence policy and justice reforms on SGBV and femicide, strengthening Kenya’s legal response to gender-based violence. He explained that her work demonstrates how the Australia Awards experience has translated into meaningful institutional and community impact through evidence-based approaches and partnerships.
Creating change beyond government
Outside government, Cecilia’s impact has continued through community work and advocacy. Drawing on her volunteer experience in Australia, she now serves as Director at Just be a Child Kenya, where she leads literacy and empowerment initiatives targeting marginalised communities. Under her leadership, the Rural Reading Rooms initiative, supported by partners in Kenya and the UK as well as the University of Nairobi, has focused on building community libraries, donating books, distributing reading materials, and supporting vulnerable children in underserved communities.
Cecilia is also writing a book titled Working with Violence, which explores the causes of SGBV and proposes practical policy solutions for Kenya’s future response framework, and is developing a podcast focused on SGBV awareness, prevention, and policy dialogue.
Dr Lenka McAlinden, Founder and Chief Executive of Just be a Child Kenya, has observed this work directly. He noted that Cecilia returned from Australia with broader perspectives, greater confidence, and a leadership style focused on collaboration and empowering others. He highlighted that she invests in developing volunteers, encourages them to pursue education and leadership opportunities, and works across sectors to strengthen communities and develop practical solutions to complex challenges. For Dr Lenka, Cecilia views leadership as service: a leader who builds trust, listens to others, and creates opportunities for people to thrive.
How the Australia Awards experience made the difference
Cecilia credits the Australia Awards experience for fundamentally changing how she approaches justice, leadership, and development. The scholarship equipped her not only with academic qualifications, but with the confidence, networks, and global perspective needed to influence systems and institutions.
Her time in Australia helped her broaden her focus from courtroom based prosecution toward longer term policy thinking and prevention based approaches. Through exposure to Australian governance systems, workplace culture, and public sector collaboration, Cecilia learned the value of evidence-based policy and multi-agency partnerships.
The relationships she built through the Australia Awards alumni network continue to shape her work today. In February 2026, Cecilia participated in an Alumni Review Workshop in Pretoria, where she engaged with fellow African alumni working on women’s empowerment, SGBV prevention, and child protection initiatives across the continent. Her involvement in alumni networks continues to create opportunities for research collaboration, mentorship, cross border learning, knowledge sharing and policy dialogue.
Reflecting on her experience, Cecilia said:
“Australia Awards helped transform me from a prosecutor focused mainly on courtroom work into a leader driven by evidence-based policies and reforms. The experience equipped me with the confidence, professional networks, and expertise needed to influence systems, mentor others, and make a meaningful contribution to Kenya’s development.”
Where she is now
Today, Cecilia Anyesi Wakoli continues to serve as Principal Prosecution Counsel and Deputy Head of the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Division at Kenya’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Her core mandate remains prosecutorial duties, alongside her involvement in national policy discussions, stakeholder engagement, and justice sector reforms related to SGBV and femicide.
She is also a member of the RMIT University Alumni Association and an active member of the Australia Awards Africa Alumni, where she continues to mentor young professionals and collaborate with fellow alumni across Africa.
Lessons learned
Policy education can transform justice systems
Cecilia’s journey demonstrates how advanced policy skills can strengthen national justice responses and influence long-term reforms.
Networks amplify impact
Australia Awards alumni connections continue to create opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, and leadership across Africa.
Policy matters
Sustainable change requires more than prosecution. Strong evidence-based policies are essential in addressing the root causes of SGBV and femicide.
Leadership grows through service
Cecilia’s volunteer work, mentorship, and community engagement show that leadership extends beyond formal workplaces.
Women and girls need coordinated support systems
Multi-sectoral collaboration between justice institutions, NGOs, development agencies, and communities is essential to protecting vulnerable populations.
From a prosecutor focused on the courtroom to a leader shaping national policy, Cecilia Anyesi Wakoli continues to demonstrate how the Australia Awards Scholarship can empower leaders to create lasting impact far beyond their individual careers. Through law, policy, advocacy, mentorship, and community development, she is strengthening Kenya’s response to gender-based violence and expanding opportunity for the communities she serves.
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