Nairobi — The Kenya Human Rights Commission has appointed Davinder Lamba as interim chair of the Commission's board replacing Makau Mutua who has now moved to the Azimio election campaign.

According to KHRC Davinder has been a member of the Board for years and has an exemplary and distinguished record in the human rights and social justice movements.

"Davinder's quest for justice stretches back to the early post-independence years making him one of the longest-serving and most indefatigable activists in Kenya and beyond," KHRC said

His activism began on February 25, 1969, when he was suspended from the University of Nairobi for organizing a protest against the cancellation of a public lecture by the late former Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.

He was also the first Kenyan architecture student to pursue a master's degree in environmental studies at the Toronto-based York University and has been the Executive Director of Mazingira Institute, one of the oldest civil society organizations (CSOs) established in 1978.

During the pro-reforms struggles of the 1990s, Davinder was the Co-Convener of the National Convention Executive Council (NCEC).

"He has been the leader of the Operation Firimbi, an initiative focused on "whistle blowing" or exposing and confronting corruption and other governance excesses," KHRC said.

Davinder is also associated with several other progressive advocacy initiatives in the country.

KHRC is a premier Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) established in April 1992 with a mandate of enhancing human rights-centred governance at all levels in society.