Dr Magare Gikenyi Benjamin, is a man of many hats.

Apart from being a Consultant General surgeon, the Nakuru resident is also a human rights defender, a champion for good governance, an author and a businessman.

However, one striking thing about the things he does is his role as a public litigant.

At only 38, Dr Magare has managed to establish himself as a highly sought after medical specialist as well as a competent public litigator keen on making the world a better place for the people whose lives he works to save on a daily basis.

His first public interest case was in 2020 during the covid19 lockdown period when the government ordered for closure of the schools.

Dr Magare who disagreed with the decision to cancel the school calendar moved to court to challenge it.

The effect of the case was to pile more pressure upon the government that it had to re-open the schools.

Dr Magare was also among the first people to file the case seeking to compel President Uhuru Kenyatta to appoint the Judges nominated by the judicial Service Commission.

He was also behind the case against the award of a car grant to the members of the County assembly which he argued was a waste of public funds.

Dr Magare-Gikenyi is also the one behind the case that seeks to have both parents given equal durations of maternal and paternal leaves.

The medic also challenged in court the planned takeover of the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KeMSA) by the military.

The current case involves the nomination of the Nakuru County Executive Committee members by Governor Susan Kihika.

Interestingly Dr Magare does not hire lawyers for these cases as he files and defends them himself in court.

“I read extensively on law and sometimes consult my lawyer friends on certain issues. Doing it on my own saves me much costs incurred since I depend on my own pockets.

“I do not get any payment for these petitions but my satisfaction comes in winning them and saving the public from loss of funds and poor government directives,” said Dr Magare-Gikenyi.

jopenda@ke.nationmedia.com

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