Meet The Team
Secretariat
Kyazze Arnold
FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Kyazze Arnold is a refugee, queer person, radical feminist, sex worker by choice, and a dedicated human rights defender passionately advocating for the rights, dignity, and liberation of sex workers, queer, and gender-diverse communities. Arnold is the Founder and Executive Director of KNESWO Feminist Initiative, a refugee-led feminist organization working to empower refugee, migrant, and internally displaced sex workers in all their diversities across Kenya and beyond. With years of experience in grassroots organizing, feminist movement building, and human rights advocacy, Arnold has become a powerful voice in advancing gender justice, sexual and reproductive justice, and social protection for marginalized communities. Their work centers on creating safe spaces, strengthening feminist leadership, promoting bodily autonomy, and challenging systems of oppression, violence, stigma, discrimination, and criminalization affecting sex workers, refugee women, queer persons, and migrant communities. Arnold is deeply passionate about women’s rights, sex workers’ rights, queer and gender-diverse rights, and the empowerment of adolescent girls and young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds. They strongly advocate for access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights, mental health support, economic justice, and community-led humanitarian responses that prioritize dignity and inclusion. Their activism also focuses on climate justice and the disproportionate impact of climate change, displacement, poverty, and humanitarian crises on sex workers and vulnerable migrant communities. Arnold continues to amplify the realities and lived experiences of refugee and migrant sex workers within regional and global feminist and human rights spaces. In recognition of their leadership and advocacy, Arnold currently serves on the Global Fund for Women / CoMotion Advisory Committee on Birth Justice and Maternal Newborn Health and is also a Steering Committee Member at the Mixed Migration Centre under the Danish Refugee Council. They additionally serve at The Victor Mukasa Foundation as the Representative for the Africa Region, contributing to regional advocacy, movement building, and the advancement of queer and feminist justice across the continent. Through these platforms, Arnold continues to influence policies, strengthen feminist movements, and advocate for justice, protection, and meaningful inclusion of marginalized communities globally.
Rahim Munubi
PROGRAMS/OPERATIONS MANAGER
Rahim Munubi is a gender-diverse sex worker, radical feminist, and dedicated human rights defender serving as the Programs Manager at KNESWO Feminist Initiative. He leads programs that support refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, and internally displaced sex workers in all their diversities, with a strong commitment to feminist values, social justice, and community-led empowerment. Rahim’s work is grounded in advancing human rights, equality, and dignity for marginalized communities often excluded from mainstream systems of support. Through his leadership, he focuses on building inclusive systems of care, strengthening community resilience, amplifying marginalized voices, and advocating for justice and protection for vulnerable populations. As both an activist and a community leader with lived experience as a sex worker, Rahim brings deep understanding, authenticity, and compassion to his advocacy and programming. He has developed strong expertise in program management, community mobilization, capacity strengthening, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and monitoring and evaluation. His lived realities continue to shape interventions that are community-centered, responsive, and rooted in the actual needs of displaced and marginalized communities. Rahim has extensive experience in grassroots organizing, policy advocacy, and health and human rights promotion, particularly for sex workers, queer communities, and gender and sexual minorities. Through his involvement with the GBMSMS community and feminist movements, he continues to challenge stigma, discrimination, criminalization, and violence affecting sex workers and other marginalized groups while promoting safer, inclusive, and affirming spaces for all. He is deeply passionate about feminist leadership, sexual and reproductive justice, mental health, economic empowerment, and the protection of refugee and migrant communities. Through his work at KNESWO Feminist Initiative, Rahim remains committed to driving systemic change, strengthening community voices, and ensuring that displaced sex workers and vulnerable populations are recognized, respected, protected, and empowered to thrive.
Winniefred Ikanza
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION OFFICER
Winniefred Ikanza is a refugee woman living in Kenya, a passionate feminist, and a dedicated human rights advocate serving as the Finance and Administration Manager at KNESWO Feminist Initiative. She holds a Degree in Human Resource Management and is committed to advancing feminist leadership, community organizing, and social justice among refugee and migrant communities. With experience in financial management, administration, and grassroots community work, Winniefred plays an important role in strengthening organizational systems and supporting programs that promote dignity, equality, and inclusion for marginalized populations. She is deeply passionate about empowering young women and adolescent girls in refugee and migrant communities through advocacy, leadership development, economic empowerment, and access to essential social and health services. Through her work at KNESWO Feminist Initiative, Winniefred continues to champion the rights of refugee women, migrant women, and vulnerable young people.
Strategy Program Advisors
The KNESWO Strategy Program Advisors serve as a strategic advisory body that provides high-level guidance, expertise, and support to strengthen the organization’s vision, mission, programs, and institutional growth. The Advisors play a key role in shaping strategic direction, strengthening program quality, supporting innovation, and ensuring that KNESWO remains responsive to the evolving needs, challenges, and priorities of the rights holders and communities we serve.
The Advisors provide technical guidance in areas including strategic planning, program design, advocacy, movement building, partnerships, resource mobilization, organizational development, safeguarding, and sustainability. They support the leadership team through evidence-based recommendations, critical reflection, and knowledge sharing to enhance effective decision-making and accountability.
Through their expertise and networks, KNESWO Strategy Program Advisors contribute to strengthening the organization’s impact, visibility, and long-term sustainability while ensuring that all programs uphold principles of dignity, equality, inclusion, justice, and community-led approaches.
The Advisors do not manage the daily operations of KNESWO but provide independent guidance, mentorship, and strategic support to help the organization achieve its goals and advance the rights and wellbeing of the communities it serves.
Deborah Leticia Akumu
STRATEGY PROGRAM ADVISOR
Deborah Leticia Akumu is a Ugandan-Australian human rights advocate, HIV activist, and community leader dedicated to advancing equity, health, and social inclusion. Drawing on their lived experience and advocacy expertise, they work closely with LGBTIQA+ sex workers, migrants, and refugees to promote access to healthcare, sexual and reproductive health rights, and community support services. Deborah is particularly passionate about empowering women, girls, and young people, addressing stigma and discrimination, and ensuring that marginalized voices are represented in policy and decision-making processes. Their work spans community engagement, leadership, and global advocacy, including contributions to international health and youth-led organizations. Deborah's efforts were recognized by UNESCO in 2019 among other awards for their anti-stigma work. In 2023, they were awarded the Global Advocacy for HIV Cure Academy Fellowship for their work on including marginalized populations in HIV cure research. Deborah serves as the board representative for the Oceania region at the Global Network of Young People Living with HIV (Y+ Global) and sits on the Board of Directors at the National Association of People with HIV Australia (NAPWHA). They are also a member of the Program Advisory Committee at the Red Umbrella Fund as the Asia Pacific representative. Deborah works with Many Coloured Sky as a Peer Worker and Community Development Officer, ensuring LGBTIQA+ refugees and asylum seekers have access to services, advocacy, referral, and information, while co-designing and delivering comprehensive capacity-building trainings to service workers within allied sectors. Additionally, Deborah is a Strategy Program Advisor working closely with KNESWO’s programme team to design, implement, and evaluate programs that diversely and uniquely respond to the needs of migrant and gender-diverse sex workers.
Jacob Awity
STRATEGY PROGRAM ADVISOR
Jacob brings expertise in program strategy, organizational development, and community engagement. He supports KNESWO in designing and strengthening initiatives that promote human rights, social inclusion, and resilience among LGBTQ+, refugee, and other marginalized communities.
Our Board
Phelister Abdalla
BOARD CHAIR
Phelister Abdalla is a feminist and woman human rights defender with extensive experience in advancing sex worker rights at national, regional, and global levels. She currently serves as the Board Chair of KNESWO Feminist Initiative and National Coordinator of DADA KIPEPEO, where she continues to champion dignity, safety, and inclusion for sex workers and marginalized communities. She is the former President of the Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP) and previously served on the Steering Committee of the Red Umbrella Fund, contributing to global advocacy and resource mobilization for sex worker-led movements. At national level, she also served as the National Coordinator of the Kenya Sex Workers Alliance, strengthening coordination and advocacy for sex workers across Kenya. Through her leadership, she continues to advance feminist, rights-based approaches that center the lived realities and voices of sex workers.
Shyleen Momanyi
BOARD CO-CHAIR
Shyleen Momanyi is a feminist activist and a champion of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) for women and girls in all their diversities. She serves as the Executive Director of YWLI, where she is responsible for strategic thinking, planning, resource mobilization, and overseeing the successful implementation of the organization’s mission. She brings extensive experience in young feminist organizing, movement building, and campaign and policy advocacy on SRHR, and continues to be a driving force in advancing gender equality. Her motivation is rooted in fostering communities where women and girls of all diversities are respected and treated with dignity. Shyleen has played a key role in empowering the next generation of young feminist leaders through mentorship and movement strengthening. Outside her activism work, she enjoys collecting and nurturing plants, reflecting her passion as a dedicated plant enthusiast. She also serves as Co-Chair of the KNESWO Feminist Initiative, contributing to its leadership.
Loya waihenya
BOARD SECRETARY
Loya Waihenya is a lawyer, philanthropist, human rights advocate, leader and strategic thinker with a strong commitment to advancing social justice and restoring dignity to vulnerable communities. She is the founder of the Loya Waihenya Foundation, an organization dedicated to restoring dignity by providing probono legal aid services to refugees, marginalized persons, women and prisoners. Through the Froundation's Better Sleep for All Program, the organization provides double decker beds, mattresses and beddings to vulnerable persons in society.The Foundation believes there is a direct correlation between better sleep and improved mental health, dignity and overall well-being. Loya holds a Bachelor of Law (LL.B) degree from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa(CUEA) and is a Certified Professional Mediator (CPM). She currently supports refugees in Kenya in partnership with Alight.Org an international NGO that supports refugees globally.She has previously worked with the National Gay and Human Rights Commission (Legal Arc) and UHAI Eashri where she supported LGBTQI+ persons through legal aid, grant management and human rights advocacy. Loya enjoys networking and is passionate about leadership, human rights and community development.She enjoys co-creating practical, realistic and innovative solutions that make the world a better place.
Carolyne Njoroge
BOARD TREASURER
Ms. Carolyne Njoroge, is a Kenyan citizen by birth. She is a sex workers rights activist and the National coordinator at the kenya sex workers alliance (KESWA) based in Nairobi, Kenya. She is a co-coordinator of the EndFemicideKe Kajiado Chapter. As a Sex worker Human Right Defender, she is passionate on realizing gender equality, community empowerment, capacity building/strengthening and diverse sex workers organizing. She is an accomplished Human rights and HIV prevention advocate for key populations who led the facilitation of Kenyan national government under the ministry of health NASCOP to develop a national guideline on the use of PrEP during her 2015 AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC) advocacy fellowship. Carolyne has worked as a regional coordinator consultant for the Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP) to develop a PrEP briefing paper capturing voices from Zimbabwe, Kenya and south Africa. She is an accredited Research Evaluator by both AMREF and KEMRI as a community expert Co-Co-Principal Investigator. Carolyne has over 10 years’ experience working with the national movement of sex workers in kenya focusing on achieving social justice, inclusive participation, decision making and designing of structural barriers interventions with, by and for sex workers.
Faith Mbehero
BOARD MEMBER
Faith Mbehero is a Kenyan SRHR leader, nurse midwife, and health systems specialist with more than 18 years of experience advancing sexual and reproductive health, gender justice, and equitable access to care across Africa. She has led regional programs in Kenya, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Benin, and Senegal, working alongside governments, civil society organizations, healthcare providers, and grassroots movements to strengthen health systems and expand access to quality, rights-based services for women, adolescents, and marginalized communities. Her expertise spans clinical quality improvement, abortion care advocacy, self-care interventions, organizational strengthening, and movement building. Faith previously served as Director of Service Delivery for Africa at Planned Parenthood Global, where she supported youth-led and provider-led initiatives and strengthened partnerships that advanced reproductive rights and locally led solutions. She is also the founding Executive Director of Reproductive Health Network Kenya (RHNK), a provider network established to improve access to quality reproductive healthcare and amplify the voices of frontline providers. Currently, Faith is the Founder and Head of Mission and Internal Operations at Third Sector Builders, a Pan-African advisory organization supporting feminist movements, community-based organizations, and locally led systems change. Faith is passionate about centering the leadership, dignity, and lived experiences of historically excluded populations and young people, in the design and governance of health and social justice initiatives.