Kirinyaga Woman Representative, Njeri Maina, has been honoured with the Champion for Justice Award by the Delaware Community during her tour in the United States.
The Champion For Justice Award recognises individuals or entities that show extraordinary effort in championing fairness, equality and legal advocacy for the marginalised or the vulnerable in society.
Speaking on Tuesday morning after being awarded, the lawmaker said she received the award in recognition of her relentless efforts in championing the rights and freedoms of the Kenyan youth.
In the message shared on her social media platforms, Njeri expressed gratitude for the award, saying that she was 'truly and deeply humbled' for the recognition.
"Truly deeply humbled to be presented with the Champion For Justice Award by Governor Matt Meyers, on behalf of the Delaware Community. An award to celebrate the work of defending Gen-Z in the courtrooms," Njeri wrote.
She went ahead to dedicate the award to her legal team, the extensive 50 million-plus cash-bail campaign team and social media influencers who amplified the grievances of Gen Zs.
"I share this with all of you, the legal team, the extensive 50M+ cash-bail campaign team. The social media influencers who’ve given us a platform. Justice be our shield and defender," she added.
The lawmaker has in recent months been critical of President William Ruto's administration over the alleged mistreatment of youths, particularly during the recent protests.
In particular, Njeri accused the government of unjustly labelling young Kenyans as terrorists, which, according to her, was a grave human rights violation.
To show her strong advocacy for the rights of the Kenyan youth, she spearheaded the 50 million-plus campaign, which sought to raise funds to bail out youths arrested during the June and July protests.
Just a week ago, she petitioned the United States government to intervene and protect the Kenyan youths against what she termed as state-sanctioned harassment.
Speaking on October 1, during an open forum in the US, Njeri also rallied the international human rights organisations to push for accountability in the government's handling of youth protesters.
“I want to call on our counterparts in various governments, including the US government, the Congress and human rights institutions to demand protection for the Kenyan youth," the MP stated.
"There must be bilateral aid on human rights compliance and full-scale investigations on the misuse of the counter-terror laws and the many young people who have lost their lives," she added.
