Our Team

LLM, Magna Cum Laude, International Human Rights Law (Indiana, USA). LLB (Hons), Makerere University, Uganda

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Ms. Kabasinga is the Founder and Executive Director of CERTA Foundation. As Managing Director of Certa Law Chambers, Florida and her team found themselves receiving and litigating cases of SRHR and gender-based violence pro bono. As a result of working closely with other national and international organisations in this field, including with Women’s Link Worldwide, Florida decided to start the Foundation to enable this work to be performed as part of the Law Firm’s Corporate Social Responsibility. Florida brings a wealth of experience both internationally and domestically.

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She has two-decade experience as a prosecutor and in private legal practice, including in strategic litigation and public interest litigation. She is also a certified mediator by the International Institute of Mediation and Conflict Resolution and a prolific arbitrator with Kigali International Arbitration Centre where she represented international and domestic clients, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Ms. Florida holds a Master of Laws (Magna cum Laude) in International Human Rights Law from the University of Notre Dame (Indiana, USA) and a Bachelor of Laws Degree (LLB Hons) from Makerere University (Kampala, Uganda). She has also received various trainings from prestigious institutions notably, the University of Pretoria, South Africa, Erasmus University, The Hague, Netherlands, and Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London.

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She has taught, at different times, International Criminal Law, Moot Courts and Common Law Litigation Principles and Techniques, among others, at different Universities in Rwanda and abroad, including at the Institute for Legal Practice & Development in Rwanda (ILPD). In addition to teaching, she is also a trainer where she regularly conducts training workshops for female advocates under the auspices of the Rwanda Bar Association aimed at inspiring and raising their capacity and profiles in the practice of law in Rwanda and in the East African Community. Ms. Florida has previously worked for the government of Rwanda as a Senior Legal Advisor to the Prosecutor General and the International Crimes Unit, National Public Prosecution Authority, Rwanda.

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Internationally, Ms. Florida is also well exposed where she worked as an Appeals Counsel, Assistant Appeals Counsel and Case Manager at the Office of the Prosecutor, United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). Ms. Florida is a member of the Rwanda Bar Association, the East African Law Society, the American Bar Association, the International Association of Prosecutors, and a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators at the Kigali Arbitration Center. She speaks at various conferences on, among others, International Humanitarian Law and International Criminal Law all over the world, most recently in Washington DC, Michigan, Nairobi, and San Diego. She speaks three languages namely Kinyarwanda, English and Kiswahili.

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Ms. Lydia Taima Munganyinka is the Director of the Center for Justice and Advocacy at Certa Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation, she worked with Conrad N. Hilton Foundation in Westlake Village, California where she conducted research for the Catholic Sister’s Initiative on projects in the human development portfolio and incorporated child protection policies in grant making in Africa.

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Previously, she served as a Program Officer at the East Africa Law society (EALS) in Arusha, Tanzania where she worked on projects to enhance democracy, rule of Law and good governance for sustainable, social and economic development. Before that, she worked as a Program Coordinator for USAID/IREX youth for change – building peace in Rwandan communities.

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She is a recipient of Ford Foundation Scholarship to Loyola Law School in Los Angeles where she received her Master’s of Laws( LLM) in International Business Law. She also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from the National University of Rwanda (Huye).

Isobel Acquah is a dual qualified transactions and corporate advisory lawyer with experience in investment banking and venture capital. She is a multilingual professional with over 20 years of legal and business experience across a number of jurisdictions in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

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Her previous work experience includes financing of assets (corporate jets, marine assets, technology), debt and equity transactions, preparing tech-enabled SMEs for investment and providing strategic structuring solutions to corporate clients. She has worked with financial actors, Tech startups and large corporates to provide legal and operational oversight, corporate and board governance, transactional management and due diligence support for foreign investors. She is a product of Bank of America Merrill Lynch (UK/US), CMS Cameron McKenna Law (UK/Belgium), the Whitaker Group (Ghana), AB & David Law (Ghana/US), Yaro Capital (Ghana) and Globetrotters Legal Africa (Ghana/Senegal).

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Isobel is a passionate gender and youth advocate. She is a founding member of the Ghana chapter of the International Women Forum, a global network spanning 33 countries with the common mission of advancing women’s leadership and championing equality world-wide. She founded the Lady Initiative in Ghana, which has impacted over 300 young women and co-founded the Pearl Safe Haven, which is focused on advocating for and rehabilitating survivors of gender-based violence.

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As youth advocate and diversity champion, Isobel worked with Bank of America Merrill Lynch (UK) to design and implement their Africa Internship Program and provide training to interns and university-aged students. She was appointed to the inaugural governing council for YALI West Africa, funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Mastercard Foundation, which oversaw the dramatic transformation of more than 4000 young Africans, including women identified through CAMFED. She is a champion for youth leadership in Africa and facilitates capacity building sessions for students and young entrepreneurs in partnership with UNFPA (Ghana), Ashesi University (Ghana), University of Legon (Ghana) and the African Leadership University (Rwanda).

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Isobel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law from University College London, UK (with German law experience from University of Cologne, Germany) and a MA in Intercultural Communication from Birkbeck University, UK. She is qualified to practice law in England and Ghana.

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Her hobbies include reading, contemporary art, writing and travel.

Michael Butera is the Associate Director at Center for Law and Innovation and the lead researcher within the Climate Justice Lab.He specialises in Constitutional Law, Climate Justice, Human Rights and Legal Policy Analysis. He is a graduate of Strathmore Law School and the recipient of both Strathmore University Merit Scholarship and Critical Legal Training Scholarship from European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights. At Strathmore, Michael served as the Publishing Editor of the Strathmore Law Review, Senior Law clinician at the Strathmore Law Clinic and interned at various research centres including Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law, Kenya.

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He also served as a Legal Researcher at the Strathmore Extractive Industries Center in Partnership with the African Legal Support Facility hosted by the African Development Bank for its African Petroleum Legislation Atlas pilot Project. Michael has also contributed to various research projects including serving as a legal researcher in the preparation of the report on the Status of ADR in Kenya by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Kenyan Branch. He has assisted as an editorial assistant for the Kenyan Constitutional Commentary book by PLO Lumumba and Prof Franceschi, Luis.

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He has also published articles and presented conference papers in different platforms such as the Strathmore Research Symposium 2020. Before joining CERTA, Michael worked with the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights in Berlin, Germany where he mostly worked on Business and Human Rights (BHR) and Climate Justice. He enjoys reading African Literature and he is a firm devotee of African decolonizing projects and because of this, he now serves as a Regional Representative for East Africa, Rwanda at AgronomicsLaw Academic Form—An International Law decolonising and ‘TWAILING’ academic forum. Outside his practising area, he is interested in African Legal History, Third World Approach to International Law and Economics, and International Climate Change Law. He speaks English, Kinyarwanda, Kiswahili fluently.

Ridwan is an assistant director at Certa Foundation, leading the professional development workflow. He has advised global companies across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East on data protection, artificial intelligence governance, regulatory intelligence, digital ethics, and technology policy. Before joining Certa Foundation, Ridwan co-founded Tech Hive Advisory (a technology policy advisory and research firm with a footprint in Africa and Europe), PrivacyLensAfrica, and Privacy Bar & Bants, where he uses visualisation and podcasting to draw attention to data protection in Africa. He is a policy advisor and a researcher with extensive work across different thematic areas, focusing on Africa and contributing to policy development in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. He has published and contributed to book chapters, reports, articles, and guides.
Ridwan holds a Master's in Law and Technology from Tilburg University, Netherlands. He is a certified information privacy professional in European data protection law, a certified information privacy manager, and a trained artificial intelligence governance professional by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). Ridwan has organised policy hackathons and facilitated international certification-based capacity-building sessions for law enforcement, government agencies and departments, senior leadership and executives in global corporations, enhancing their capacities in artificial intelligence governance, data protection, surveillance, deceptive design, regulatory intelligence, and technology policy.

He is a member of the Africa Digital Rights Network, the Africa Law and Tech Network, the Africa Data Governance Initiative, and the Privacy Alliance. He also sits on the advisory board of the Continental Approach and is a Trustee of the African Biodata Foundation. He is ranked as a country leader by Who is Who Legal for Data. He is a Fellow of Information Privacy with the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) and a Fellow of Access to Justice Tech Design Lab, Tilburg Institute of Law and Technology. He contributes his expertise as a Research Fellow at the African Academic Network on Internet Policy, a researcher at the Responsible Data Governance for Artificial Intelligence, and a member of the privacy working group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). He is also designated as an expert at the Data Protection Unit of the Council of Europe.

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Godfrey KABERA a Senior Projects Policy Advisor and project management specialist with a professional experience of 17 years. Worked in Economic policy sector supporting countries to undergo policy reforms, establish strategies to sustain economic achievement and building up a strong team to drive economic development. In particular, worked with the Rwandan Ministry of Commerce (MINICOM) for 5 years.
Godfrey has an international and a regional experience as well, in Management skills, Training skills, in village savings schemes, formation of cooperatives, negotiation skills, private sector promotion and promoting a harmonized fair trade of regional and global economic activities. As an economic policy and project management specialist, has enormous amount of experience in projects management skills in project initiation, design, management, monitoring and evaluation and also have experience working with regional trading blocs like COMESA, EAC, SADC,
ECOWAS and other bilateral arrangements, also have experience in working with different UN funded organizations such as UNHCR, UNICEF, UNDP, USAID, UNIDO, UNFP, others EU, USAID, OXFAM, Plan International, Norwegian Peoples Aid (NPA), etc....
Godfrey is a member of National Treaty Body Reporting Task Force (TBRTF), which is a cross- institutional body, bringing together Government and Civil Society Organizations to jointly consider implementation of Rwanda’s human rights obligations (State Reports). He also promoted arbitration/ADR through mediations and other alternatives in Rwanda. Godfrey has been nominated as National CSOs Gender Champions in Rwanda to implement inclusive gender activities among National NGOs in Rwanda
He has experience in designing bankable business proposals for public and private institutions and also monitor their implementations, policy advocacy, and different sector budget allocation analysis, like (health, education, nutrition and social protection).

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Habimana Faustin is a Finance and Administration Manager at Certa Foundation. He has a diverse background encompassing international trade, economics, finance, and business operations. Faustin holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Trade and Economics from Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (NUIST), providing him with a solid foundation in global commerce and economic principles. Building upon this foundation, Faustin pursued a Master’s degree in Finance from NUIST, further augmenting his expertise in financial analysis, investment strategies, and risk management.

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With an extensive range of experience in various roles, Faustin has demonstrated exceptional performance as an Investment Promotion Officer at Shandong Silk Road International Co. Ltd and served as a Marketing and Data Analysis Representative at Duka App, where he effectively applied his expertise in market research and strategic planning to drive business growth. His role involved utilizing data analysis to inform marketing strategies and optimize customer outreach.

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Moreover, Faustin’s experience as a Logistics and Supply Chain Officer at Ningbo Yanpo Import and Export Co. Ltd showcased his exceptional organizational skills and ability to optimize supply chain operations for maximum efficiency. In this role, he successfully managed logistics and coordinated the flow of goods, ensuring smooth operations and timely delivery.

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Jeanne MUTESI is the Administration and Finance Officer at CERTA Foundation. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Kigali Independent University (ULK) with a major in Finance.

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She is result-driven with a logical and analytical approach to problem solving, ability to produce quality work independently and within a team environment. She possesses excellent interpersonal and communication skills as well as excellent customer service skills.

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Jeanne possesses vast experience with MS Office, QuickBooks IFMIS and SAGE100. Before joining CERTA Foundation, Jeanne was employed by different institutions like the National Commission for Children where she worked as an Assistant Finance Administrator, MRB ATTORNEYS as an Administrative Assistant, Bank Populaire du Rwanda as an Opening Accounts Officer, Ignite Power Rwanda as a Collections Agent and at Rwanda Development Bank as a Data-entry Clerk. Mutesi is a native speaker of Kinyarwanda, excellent at English and French.

Mr. Benon Tashobya is the program coordinator- access to justice center for justice & advocacy. He has over 12 years combined experience in managing Civil, Criminal as well as commercial legal matters. Prior to joining the Foundation, Mr. Tashobya Benon served as a Judge (Magistrate) in various courts in Rwanda, such as, The Intermediate Court of Gasabo District, the Intermediate Court of Muhanga District in the Southern Province, The Primary Court Ndora, Gisagara District Southern Province and The Primary Court Busasamana, Nyanza District Southern Province. He has also served as the President (Chief Magistrate) of The Primary Court of Nyarugenge in Nyarugenge District, Kigali City and Twumba Primary Court, Karongi District Western Province.

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Mr. Tashobya Benon holds Bachelor degree in Law from University of Rwanda, Diploma in Legal Practice from Institute of Legal Practice and Development (ILPD), Certificate in Mediation from Edwards Mediation Academy, USA. He speaks English, French Kinyarwanda and Swahili.

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Euphrasie Harerimana is a Child Protection Advocate at CERTA Foundation based in Gatsibo District. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law (LLB) from Université Libre de Kigali (ULK) and is a member of the Rwanda Bar Association. Euphrasie has 10 years of experience working with clients in mediation, research and case preparations to trial. She speaks English, French, Kinyarwanda and Kiswahili.

Gloriose Mukamasabo is a Child Protection Advocate at CERTA Foundation based in Nyagatare District. She holds a bachelor’s degree in law (LLB) from the Independence Institute of Lay Adventists of Kigali, and is a member of the Rwanda Bar Association. Prior to joining Certa foundation, Gloriose worked with the Rwanda National Police in the Criminal Investigation Department as their Judicial Police in charge of SGBV cases, she also worked for the United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) as their legal officer. She speaks English, French, Kinyarwanda and Kiswahili.

Fabiola UWERA is the Program Officer at CERTA Foundation. She is a Rwandan Lawyer with more than five years of experience in investigative research. She is trained in lay counseling and passionate about social justice, policy and advocacy work for women’s rights, particularly through community-based approaches.

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Fabiola has volunteered for several grassroots collectives and human rights organizations in the region including Sistah Circle Collective, Rwanda National Commission for Human Rights, and Asylum Access Tanzania.

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Mrs. UWERA holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), from the University of Dar es salaam and a Diploma in Legal Practice from Institute of Legal Practice and Development and she is a member of the Rwanda Bar Association (RBA), and the East African Law society (EALS). Mrs. UWERA has diverse experience in research, translation, communications, curatorial practice, event management, creative writing, content creation, art, and film criticism. She speaks Kinyarwanda, Kiswahili, English and French.

Shaki MUKIZA Program Coordinator- Economic & Gender Justice - Center for Justice & Advocacy at CERTA Foundation. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law (LLB)(Hons) from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Kenya.

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Before joining the Foundation, she worked at Certa Law Chambers as a Legal Officer for over two years, where she contributed to cases ranging from Family Law to Corporate Law through analysing and drafting legal documents. Prior to that, Shaki undertook an internship program at the East Africa Law Society (EALS) in Arusha, Tanzania for a period from which she gained a wide knowledge of common Law and an understanding of Laws within the region.

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She has a passion for Human Rights with a particular interest in Rights of the Child, Women’s sexual and reproductive health rights as well as Family Law. Besides that, she has a keen interest in Criminology & Forensics among other interests. She speaks Kinyarwanda, English and Kiswahili.

Kagina Laura is the program coordinator of gender policy advocacy in the Center for Justice and Advocacy one of the two Centers of Certa Foundation. Laura Kagina holds an LLB in Law from the University of Kigali and has completed the School of Legal Practice and Development for Lawyers.  While at the University, she volunteered as a legal advisor for various startups including Mulika Farms, Aga Farms, and Pristine Technology. In these capacities, she gained skills in providing strategic legal counsel, that can contribute to the growth and success of ventures by helping them with compliance, risk management, and intellectual property safeguarding.

Previously, Laura served as an intern judicial clerk at the Supreme Court, where she gained valuable insights into the legal system most importantly the realm of legal research. Laura has also served as a legal assistant at Philga Law Firm. Here, she honed her legal skills and contributed to the firm's activities, gaining practical experience in diverse legal matters.

Laura's past experiences have equipped her with a diverse skill set and a comprehensive understanding of legal dynamics. Prior to joining Certa Foundation, Laura worked as a lead facilitator for Resonate Workshops, she dedicated her efforts to empowering women who are victims of gender-based violence and other forms of discrimination. Where she has helped conduct various workshops and trainings including the global citizens debate on the future of the internet.  

Aside from work, creative writing is her main area of interest, she has written and performed her poetry at the national level and in various international events.  Laura speaks English, French, Kinyarwanda, and beginner-level ASL. She is interested in pursuing the edges of intellectual property and tech law to see how they can contribute to the empowerment of women and help elevate gender equality.

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Renita GATESI is a fellow at the Center for law and innovation in Rwanda. In the pursuit of her law degree at the university of Rwanda, she has put her research skills to work as a research assistant at a local NGO Benishaka carrying out child risk assessment in parameters of child physical abuse, child neglect ,sexual and emotional abuse.

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She has put her keen passion to help the community  into the education sector as a teacher to educate the future generation. Additionally, she has worked with the  mediation and reconciliation training program at the University of Rwanda as their coordinator. She is passionate about human rights and alternative dispute resolution. At the Center for Law and Innovation, Renita involves herself in alternative dispute resolution (mediation, arbitration, and neutral evaluation) related research and activities.

Frank is the Coordinator at the Center for Law and Innovation's Research, Knowledge, and Development Program and has been pivotal in guiding research strategic and operational aspects across five specialized labs. His role is instrumental in integrating research with impactful initiatives, notably the Data Protection Training of Trainers and Judicial Clerkship Training Program. These programs benefit greatly from his oversight, significantly elevating their effectiveness and outreach.

In his capacity, Frank has overseen the "Looking for Low-Hanging Fruits in Tech and Innovation" project under the Tech Lab, cementing CLI's position as a proactive entity in the technology sector. His responsibilities include identifying and implementing accessible, innovative tech solutions. Additionally, as the Publishing Editor of the Inaugural Certa Foundation Human Rights Journal, Frank has demonstrated his commitment to advancing critical discussions, with a special focus on Gender Violence.

Frank's contributions are profoundly recognized in policy development and evaluation, particularly concerning data protection. He has been actively involved in evaluating startup and fintech policies and in reviewing projects related to artificial intelligence. His collaboration with entities like the ICT Chamber, the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR), and the National Cybersecurity Authority underlines his commitment to harmonizing technological advancement with data protection. This is especially relevant in the context of rapidly evolving digital surveillance systems.

Frank, drawing upon his educational foundation in Cameroon, has honed his legal acumen through a Bachelor's degree from the University of Kigali. His expertise in National and International Legal First Aid Provision was further solidified during the completion of the Advocate Trainee Program at the Institute of Legal Practice and Development. Frank's diverse educational background underscores his proficiency in data protection, positioning him as a valuable asset at the intersection of law and technology. 

Umulisa Doreen is currently serving as a Project Lead of the Startup Residency at the Center for Law and Innovation. Her role involves spear heading the residency incubator within the Startup Bluebook Program, where she provides support in drafting, reviewing, and coordinating legal activities for ten startups, ensuring compliance with essential legal requirements.

 Additionally, Doreen formerly occupied a leadership role in overseeing the Graduates Prep Program, a comprehensive initiative she actively planned, implemented, and monitored. This program was specifically designed to empower recent law school graduates with essential skills, facilitating their successful entry into prestigious law schools worldwide.

Furthermore, Doreen recently embraced a leadership role as the co-organizer of the Africa Law and Tech Summit Network (ALT Network Summit)hosted by the Center for Law and Innovation. This summit served as a pivotal platform, bringing together luminaries from across the continent at the intersection of law and innovation. With a registration count exceeding 220,including lawyers, policymakers, and visionary startup founders, Doreen managed the program and panelists, ensuring the seamless operation of the summit over three transformative days.

Beyond her commitments at Certa Foundation, Doreen is one of the Directors of the Law Students Association at the University of Rwanda School of Law. This additional responsibility underscores her dedication to fostering legal education and community engagement among aspiring law professionals.

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Esther Bella Munezero is a dedicated individual who is deeply passionate about human rights and social justice. In pursuit of her LLB, she developed a keen interest in understanding and addressing the legal challenges faced by vulnerable populations. She actively participated in legal research, case analysis, and trial preparation at the National Public Prosecution Authority.

Esther is currently a project lead and partnership Liaison at the Center for Law and Innovation. She is involved in cutting-edge projects that aim to bridge the gap between traditional legal systems and emerging technologies. She holds various Certificates in advocating for sexual reproductive health rights. She is also a moot enthusiast.

With her strong academic foundation, practical experience in the legal field, and unwavering commitment to human rights advocacy, Esther Bella Munezero is making significant contributions toward building a more just and equitable society. She speaks English, French, and Kinyarwanda

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Grace AJENEZA is a child protection Advocate at CERTA Foundation, based in Gasabo District, Prior to joining Foundation, she served in humanitarian for 5 years in refugee protection (UNHCR) by applying International law and national laws in respect of Standard Operating Procedures. Previously she served as legal assistant and got experience in legal research, legal analysis, legal drafting. she undertook an internship program at Rwanda Development Board from which she gained a wide knowledge in Company Law and public Notary Services.
Grace served as nurse in charge of Gender based Violence prevention and case management by ensuring health care and the psycho-social well-being of GBV victims and she’s passionate in Human right protection; specifically, children and women rights promotion.
She holds Bachelor’s degree in law from Kigali Independent University (ULK), Advanced Diploma in General Nursing sciences and she speaks English, French and Kinyarwanda.

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