Professional Profile: Festus Mwanza Kaluki
A Strategic Leader in Disability Advocacy, Inclusion, and Youth Empowerment
My professional journey is deeply interwoven with my personal identity as a person with a
physical disability, living with mild cerebral palsy and a speech impairment. This lived
experience is not merely a characteristic but the foundational driver of my mission. It has
provided me with an unparalleled, firsthand understanding of the systemic barriers to inclusion,
fueling my commitment to creating a more equitable society.
As the Founder and Executive Director of Disability Advocacy and Services Kenya, I have built
an organization that translates this profound understanding into actionable strategies and
tangible services. My leadership is uniquely informed by a solid academic and professional
foundation, holding a graduate qualification in Management and specialized training in
Procurement. This business acumen allows me to approach advocacy with a dual lens: one
focused on transformative social change and the other on operational excellence, strategic
resource management, and sustainable organizational governance. I believe that effective
advocacy must be coupled with impeccable management to create lasting impact.
My work is dedicated to dismantling barriers and empowering not only persons with disabilities
but also the youth of Kenya, believing firmly in their potential as catalysts for national
development. I am keen to partner with the University to create a powerful synergy between
grassroots activism and academic excellence, co-designing programs, informing policy with
evidence-based research, and cultivating the next generation of inclusive leaders.