Kenya has lost one of its brightest legal minds, a resolute defender of justice, and a deeply principled voice in matters of national conscience. Senior Counsel Pheroze Nowrojee passed away on April 5, 2025, at the age of 84. His death marks the end of a monumental chapter in Kenya’s legal, human rights, and democratic history. But even in passing, his legacy will remain woven into the very fabric of the nation he so diligently served.
Born in 1941, Pheroze Nowrojee hailed from a family steeped in Kenya’s early history. His grandfather, arrived in East Africa in April 1896 as an engine driver for the Uganda Railway, an experience Nowrojee once eloquently described as a turning point for his family in his moving memoir A Kenyan Journey (2015). That book, both poetic and political, not only traces his family’s trajectory but also acts as a personal reflection on colonialism, migration, and the formation of Kenya as a modern nation.
This strong sense of rootedness and identity would become a guiding light throughout Nowrojee’s six-decade career, a career shaped by his deep commitment to justice, human dignity, and the rule of law.
Nowrojee was called to the Bar in Kenya in 1965 and later obtained a Master of Laws from Yale University. His early legal training in both Kenya and the United States gave him a unique blend of local understanding and global perspective, a duality that informed his work throughout his life.
Over the years, he became widely regarded not only for his deep legal intellect but also for his quiet charisma, humility, and sharp analytical mind. He was often described as a lawyer’s lawyer, the kind of advocate who pursued justice over grandstanding, and who believed in the sanctity of the Constitution, even in the most turbulent political climates.
Mr. Pheroze Nowrojee SC.Photo/Courtesy.
During Kenya’s darkest political moments, particularly under the one-party regime of the 1980s and 1990s, Pheroze Nowrojee stood firm in defense of human rights and constitutionalism. He represented numerous political detainees, activists, journalists, and opposition leaders who were victims of state oppression.
Pheroze Nowrojee at the 50th Anniversary Celebrations of the Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York in September 2023.
He was not just a lawyer; he was a moral compass in an era where many chose silence. As he once noted in a public lecture, “The lawyer’s duty is not just to argue the law. It is to argue justice, even if that justice is inconvenient to power.”
Beyond the courtroom, Nowrojee played a critical role in shaping Kenya’s legal philosophy. He published widely on constitutional law, human rights, and the importance of judicial independence. His essays and speeches are studied by law students and legal scholars alike, revered not just for their insight but for the grace with which they are written.
Despite his towering intellect, he was immensely generous with his time and knowledge. He mentored generations of lawyers, judges, and scholars, many of whom now occupy senior positions across the country’s legal institutions. He believed mentorship was not an option but an obligation, and he fulfilled it with characteristic humility and grace.
ICJ Kenya Jurist of the Year Award
In 1995, the Kenyan section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ Kenya) awarded Pheroze Nowrojee the Jurist of the Year, a recognition reserved for individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights, justice, and the rule of law.
In the citation leading to his recognition, he was hailed for consistently, fearlessly and impartially promoting the rule of law and human rights in Kenya and across Africa.
Over the years, SC Nowrojee immensely contributed to ICJ Kenya’s mission and work. His unwavering support, wisdom, and commitment to justice enriched the organization and helped shape its impact on Kenya’s legal landscape.
When the idea of creating a permanent headquarters for ICJ Kenya began to take shape, it was Senior Counsel Nowrojee who became the driving force behind turning that dream into a reality. Through a remarkable act of leadership and generosity, he rallied support from his closest circles, family and trusted friends, raising substantial funds that laid the foundation for what would become the ICJ Kenya House. In July 2019, this vision was realized with the official opening of our home, a symbol of his unwavering dedication and strategic vision.
His contribution was not just financial,it was deeply symbolic. By helping establish a permanent home for the organization, he strengthened our identity and reaffirmed his lifelong commitment to justice, integrity, and institutional resilience.
Today, his legacy echoes through every hallway. The images on our Wall of History, the words of wisdom he shared, and the resource center that proudly bears his name are more than just tributes,they are daily affirmations of the values he lived by and instilled in us. His impact is indelible, woven into the very fabric of ICJ Kenya.
Even in his later years, Nowrojee remained active in public life. In August 2024, he delivered a memorable keynote address at the Law Society of Kenya Annual Conference in Diani, Kwale. His speech, touching on the moral obligations of lawyers in times of political uncertainty, earned him a standing ovation.
Mr. Pheroze Nowrojee SC making Submissions during #ColloquiumLSK. Photo/Courtesy.
Pheroze Nowrojee was not confined by the courtroom. He was a poet, a historian, a public intellectual, and a quiet revolutionary. He believed in the dignity of all people, regardless of their station, and he used his voice and his pen to ensure that dignity was recognized in law and in practice.
As Kenya mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished sons, it is incumbent upon the legal community and the nation at large to carry forward his legacy. Not merely by memorializing his name, but by living the values he espoused: justice, integrity, humility, and above all, service to humanity.
SC Pheroze Life in Highlights
Pheroze Nowrojee, Senior Counsel, was an Advocate of the High Courts of Kenya (1967), Tanzania (1970) and Zanzibar (1989) with a practice mainly in constitutional, political and human rights cases.
He has also appeared in the High Courts of Uganda and the Seychelles. Born in Nairobi, he studied in India (B.A., Bombay, 1957), in the U.K. (Of Lincoln’s Inn, Barrister, 1965) and in the U.S.A. (LL.M., Yale, 1974). He has taught at the University of Dar-es-Salaam (1974-1977), the University of Nairobi (1979-1985), and the Kenya School of Law (1968-1970, 1978-1985).
He is the author of Pio Gama Pinto: Patriot for Social Justice (2007), A Vote for Kenya: The Elections and the Constitution (2013), A Kenyan Journey (2014), and Conserving the Intangible (2015).
His awards include the International Commission of Jurists (Kenya) ICJ Jurist of the Year, 1995, the International Bar Association (IBA) Bernard Simons Human Rights Prize, 2002-2004, the Law Society of Kenya Roll of Honour, 2005, the Maasai People, Safeguarding Rights Award, 2007, and the CB Madan Constitution Prize 2014.
His political offices include FORD-Kenya, Member of National Executive Council (NEC), 1992-1999, FORD-Kenya, Secretary for Legal & Constitutional Affairs, 1994-1999, National Treasurer, Social Democratic Party, 2002-2012.
He was Vice-Chair, Ufungamano People’s Commission on Constitutional Reform 2000–2001. Over many decades he has been an influential part of the political and social movements for constitutional and social change in Kenya. He is a Co-Chair of the Asian African Heritage Trust, an Indian Diaspora/Kenyan history trust. He is the author of several books, and of numerous articles on law, Kenyan public affairs, and legal history. He is a BBC Africa Poetry Competition Prizewinner (2001).
Nowrojee cited the nullification of the 2017 presidential election in Kenya by the Supreme Court and the lifting of the ban on the Nairobi Law Monthly magazine during the KANU regime as some of is stand out cases.
Sources: ICJ Kenya
Pheroze Nowrojee: The Quiet Giant Who Guarded Kenya’s Conscience
Written by Gina Din | New African
In every generation, a few walk among us who seem made of something different—steel and soul. Pheroze Nowrojee was one of them.
He didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t chase status. He didn’t trade principle for applause. Yet when he entered a courtroom, a classroom, or a conversation, the air shifted. He spoke softly—but you listened. Not out of obligation, but out of reverence. Because you knew what was coming would matter.
Kenya has lost a mind of rare brilliance. But more than that, we have lost a moral compass—one of the last few we had.
A Defender of Justice in Its Purest Form
Pheroze was more than a lawyer. He was a custodian of the law’s highest purpose: justice. At a time when the law was being weaponised against the people, he chose to wield it in their defence. When the price of dissent was exile, imprisonment, or worse, Pheroze stayed. He took on the cases others wouldn’t touch. He stood beside those who had no one.
Not because it was strategic. But because it was right.
He understood something too many forget: that legality and justice are not always the same thing. And in those critical moments where they diverged, he chose justice—every single time.
He Did Not Forget. And He Refused to Let Kenya Forget, Either.
Where others chose comfort, Pheroze chose memory. His writing didn’t merely document. It demanded we confront. With clarity and care, he wrote of our democratic stumbles, our moral failures, and the falsehoods we tell ourselves as a nation. He reminded us that to bury the past is to betray the future.
His essays and lectures carried the weight of someone who had seen too much to be naïve—but had not given up enough to be cynical. He taught us that democracy is not just about elections, but about honesty. And that truth-telling, especially in public, is its own form of resistance.
He Saw the Soul of the Nation—And Fought to Protect It
Too many see culture as decoration. Pheroze understood it as destiny. He knew that who we are—our memory, our heritage, our truth—was central to who we could become. That’s why his work with the National Museums of Kenya was not a side interest. It was central to his mission.
He fought for the integrity of our history, for the preservation of our identity, and for a Kenya that could name itself without shame or distortion. Because he knew: you cannot build a democratic nation on broken memory.
The Architect Behind the Curtain of Reform
Kenya’s shift to multiparty democracy was loud and dangerous. Many claimed credit. Few truly earned it.
Pheroze was one of the few.
He was the legal mind in the backrooms, the conscience in the drafting rooms, the quiet strategist behind bold reforms. He offered clarity when others offered slogans. He brought structure where others brought noise. He mentored without seeking recognition. He advised without seeking office.
He didn’t need the stage—he was shaping it.
A Mind That Was Deep, Not Just Sharp
In an age of rapid commentary and shallow certainty, Pheroze was something rare: thoughtful. He didn’t rush to speak. He spoke only when he had something to say—and when he did, it stayed with you.
There was depth in everything he did. A kind of moral architecture behind every choice. He wasn’t interested in performance. He was interested in truth. And that’s why people—across professions, across generations—trusted him.
Not because he made them feel good. But because he made them think better.
A Legacy Etched in the Fabric of Our Freedoms
Pheroze Nowrojee didn’t just believe in justice—he expanded its meaning in Kenya. He made it harder for the powerful to lie. He made it easier for the weak to be heard. He brought weight to the word “democracy” when it risked becoming hollow.
He left us tools: essays, rulings, principles. But more importantly, he left us an example—a blueprint for integrity, courage, and depth in public life.
And in these uncertain times, his voice echoes louder than ever.
We Have Lost a Giant. But Let Us Not Lose the Ground He Helped Build.
Pheroze is gone. But if we have any sense of duty, we will not let his work die with him. We must protect the freedoms he defended. We must fight the battles he began. And we must remember that real change does not come from outrage—it comes from principle, discipline, and unshakable resolve.
As he once wrote:
“The law, when rightly used, is one of the greatest instruments for justice. But when it is turned into a tool for repression, it becomes the most efficient mechanism of oppression—precisely because it appears so lawful.”
May we use the law—and our lives—rightly.
Rest in power, Pheroze. You gave us your brilliance. You gave us your courage. Now it’s our turn to honour it.