A Daughter’s Tribute to Lilian Wakiiya Mwaura, Founder of FIDA Kenya

March 11, 2025

<Speech read at FIDA Golf Day, 7 March 2025 at Royal Nairobi Golf Club>

Good evening (all protocols observed),

It is with immense pride that I stand before you today to share a few words about the visionary founder of FIDA Kenya – my mother, Senior Counsel Lilian Mwaura, my mentor and inspiration.

The Living Room Where It All Began

As a young girl, I witnessed history unfold in our family living room at our home in Loresho. What most know as FIDA Kenya, I first knew as passionate conversations, determination in my mother’s eyes, and committed women filing through our front door, cups of tea in hand, debating how to create a more just Kenya for women and girls.

Those pioneering women who joined my mother in those early days: THE LATE SURINDER KAPILA, HON. LADY JUSTICE ABIDA ALI, RACHEL OMAMO, CATHERINE KOLA, THE LATE ANNE MUTUA, ANNE KARIUKI, JANE MICHUKI, ANNE KIMANI and SALLY GITHERE, among others laid the foundation for what would become one of Kenya’s most respected women rights organization nationally and internationally

I remember the intensity of those early meetings—papers spread across our dining table, determined voices rising and falling into the evening. As children, we’d peek around corners, fascinated by these far sighted women who spoke with such conviction about rights, equality, and justice for women and children

A Mother’s Vision Becomes a Movement

My mother didn’t just talk about gender equality—she embodied it. Trained as one of Kenya’s pioneering female lawyers wasn’t enough. She understood that the law could be a powerful tool for transformation, but only if women were aware of their legal right   had access to justice  system and had advocates fighting for them within it.

What began in our living room grew into a formidable organization providing free legal aid to women who would otherwise have no voice in our justice system. FIDA Kenya became the place where women who had nowhere else to turn found not just legal representation, but dignity and respect.

Embodying the 2025 International Women’s Day Theme

As we gather in 2025, my mother’s vision aligns perfectly with this year’s International Women’s Day theme: “For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.” Long before it became a global rallying cry, she understood that securing rights, ensuring equality, and fostering empowerment for ALL women—through legal representation, education, and advocacy—was the foundation upon which a just society must be built.

Those early FIDA pioneers recognized that when we invest in women’s access to justice, we don’t just change individual lives—we transform communities and nations. Each case represented an investment in a woman’s future, and collectively, these investments have accelerated Kenya’s progress toward true gender equality.

Beyond the Lawyer: The Woman I Call Mother

While many know SC Lilian Mwaura as a trailblazing lawyer and activist, I have had the privilege of knowing her simply as “Mom.” The same passion that fueled her public advocacy shaped our home life. I watched her return home exhausted from court cases, yet still find energy to review a desperate woman’s legal documents at our kitchen table.

The Work Continues

Today, we’re not just enjoying a day of golf—we’re continuing that legacy. Every swing of the club today contributes to ensuring that women across Kenya can access justice, understand their rights, and live with dignity. Each contribution represents an investment in women that will continue to accelerate progress.

The vision that began in our living room remains unfinished. While FIDA Kenya has accomplished remarkable progress in promoting gender equality, my mother would be the first to say that the work is far from complete. As we commemorate International Women’s Day 2025, we’re reminded that investing in women isn’t a one-time action but a continuous commitment. The return on this investment— the achievement of gender and prosperous Kenya—is worth every effort.

A Personal Thank You

My mom celebrated her 77 yrs birthday last year. She has established a branch of her Law firm of K.Mwaura & Co Advocates  at Malindi where  she is still actively practicing Law and advocating for gender rights and equality.

Whilst she is not physically here today, I want to thank you on her behalf for supporting FIDA Kenya, and for ensuring that the vision that began in a family living room continues to transform our nation.

Thank you, Mom, for showing me and countless others what courage looks like. Thank you for demonstrating that when women support women, or when men support women, mountains can be moved. Thank you for turning our living room into a birthplace for justice for women

Now, let’s enjoy the rest of the evening, knowing that each of us is part of continuing a legacy that has changed—and will continue to change—the story of women in Kenya.

Thank you.

Waithera Kabiru

Director, Lilian Mwaura Foundation