Ababu Namwamba

Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts, Republic of Kenya

Ababu Namwamba is the Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts of the Republic of Kenya. Prior to this role, Minister Namwamba served as Chief Administrative Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He has previously served as a member of parliament (MP) for two terms. He has vast experience as a legislator and chaired key House Committees such as the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional Review, Justice and Legal Affairs Committee and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). He also set a record for the highest number of Private Member’s Motions and Bills in the 10th and 11th Parliament, respectively.

Minister Namwamba has also previously served as the Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs of the Republic of Kenya. His reign is remembered for the enactment of the Sports Act, actualizing the National Youth Council, strengthening of the National Youth Service (NYS) and streamlining the National Youth Enterprise Fund.

Minister Namwamba is a public interest attorney and has previously been active on the international lobbying circuit advocating for international human rights and fair trade practices. Mr. Namwamba has authored various publications and has been a respected columnist with the Sunday Nation and Standard on Sunday Kenya’s top two newspapers.

Minister Namwamba holds a Master of Laws (LLM) Degree from American University, Washington College of Law, Washington D.C. He also has a Diploma in Legal Practice, Kenya School of Law, and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) Degree from the University of Nairobi.

In 2012, Minister Namwamba was conferred by President Mwai Kibaki with the Order of the Elder of the Golden Heart (EGH), the highest civilian national honour in Kenya.