Teresia Mumbua Matheka is a lawyer by training having graduated from the University on Nairobi with a LLB (Hons) Upper Second Class. She holds a Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law. She graduated in September 2014 with a Masters in Women’s Law (Distinction) from the University of Zimbabwe, Southern and Eastern African Regional Centre on Women’s Law. Her dissertation was on the attempts by intersex persons to achieve legal recognition in Kenya entitled; Speaking the Unspeakable: Interrogating the Rights and Legal Recognition of Intersex Persons in Kenya.
She joined the Judiciary in 1993 and has risen through the ranks to the position of Chief Magistrate, dealing with criminal, civil, traffic cases. She has served in various court stations in the country.
In 2001, Kenya passed the Children’s Act no 8 of 2001 which came into force in 2002. She was among the first Magistrates to be gazetted as a Children Magistrate and has served as such among her other judicial duties. She has attended numerous trainings and workshops on children issues including a country focused training on Juvenile Delinquency Treatment Systems at the United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (UNAFEI) in Japan. She is a trainer for the Child Care and Protection Officers programme which brings together the five major Juvenile Justice Agencies Judiciary, Probation, Children Department, Police and Prisons in training and collaboration in Children matters. She was part of the National Implementation Team that developed the training curriculum and materials.
As a member of Kenya Women Judges Association she is involved in the Jurisprudence of Equality Programme, the establishment of court users committees that are sensitive to issues of sex and gender based violence; and with the Kenya Magistrate’s and Judges Association, in the Refugee Laws Training programme.
Currently she is at the Judiciary Training Institute, which is the organ mandated by the judiciary to provide training for all judiciary staff, judges, and judicial officers, research and policy development, and constructive stakeholder engagement. She is leading a team in developing and piloting the curriculum on the Child and the Law, and Sex and Gender Based Violence. She is has been involved in the developing of Judiciary policies on Disability and Sexual Harassment among activities.
While serving as a Magistrate, in 2009, she attended her first ever seminar on awareness on intersex and transgender issues hosted by Transgender Education Advocacy. During her studies, she worked closely with the advocates in the “Baby A” case. While at the JTI, she has collaborated with TEA to hold a one day workshop for people in the justice system on the Rights of Intersex Persons. She was invited to make a presentation to Judges of the High Court and the Court of Appeal during a workshop on HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUALITY JURISPRUDENCE in May 2014 on Intersex Persons and the Justice System.
She has continued to support Audrey Mbugua of TEA and Intersex persons in their quest for legal recognition. She is a strong proponent of the demystification of “LGBTI” by allowing each part of this family to stand out and up for its very unique rights.