KNEC Yields to Court's Landmark Ruling on Transgender Student

In an apparent first for the country, gender activist Audrey Mbugua, formally known as Andrew Mbugua, has had her names changed on her Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) certificates.

She reported through her Facebook page on Monday, September, 16, that the council has complied with the orders of the court and granted her a new certificate reflecting her identity.

This comes less than two months after she had won a case at the appellate court filed by KNEC in opposition to changing her name on her documents.

Transgender activist Andrew Mbugua. She won a case compelling KNEC to change the names on her school certificates from Andrew to Audrey.

The council had taken the case to the court of appeal aiming to undo the high court's ruling which had validated the name change, but the case was thrown out in July 2019.

"All in all, we are not persuaded that the appellant has established a basis for this court to interfere with the decision of the lower court," Justices Philip Waki, Gatembu Kairu and Otieno Odek had ruled.

Audrey, formally known as Andrew Ithibu Mbugua, was born and raised as a male. She attended Kiambu High School, a boys’ school, where she sat her KCSE in 2001 and scored a mean grade of A- (minus).

Dr. Catherine Syengo Mutisya, the deputy medical superintendent at Mathare Mental Hospital, where Audrey was undergoing treatment told the Daily Nation in July that Audrey had gender identity disorder (trans-sexual) and had already begun the medical transition.

Audrey in her post expressed an outpouring of praise for everyone who walked with her through her journey.

"I thank all those who supported me and my transgender family. You chose the side of winners, and you chose justice," she stated.

She also urged all those who have undergone such changes to also push for the same changes to reflect on their certificates.

The high school certificate reflecting Audrey's new identity. It had previously reflected Andrew, an identity that she said was not hers.

 

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