Charles Jaika Magotzwi

Charles Jaika Magotzwi (he/him) is a Kenyan lawyer, human rights advocate, programme strategist and policy advisor working at the intersection of digital rights, climate justice, democratic governance, civic space and access to justice across Africa. He currently serves as Programme Lead for Digital Rights and Inclusive Transformation at the International Commission of Jurists, Kenya Section (ICJ Kenya), where he has led and contributed to regional initiatives addressing digital governance, data protection, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, internet shutdowns and the protection of civic space online.

Jaika holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB). He has undertaken specialised training in the African Human Rights System at the University of Pretoria, Media and Digital Policy at Stellenbosch University, and International Data Protection at Strathmore University.

His professional experience includes strategic litigation, policy advocacy, programme management, resource mobilisation and engagement with regional and international human rights mechanisms. At ICJ Kenya, he played a leading role in digital rights and cyber governance initiatives, including work on biometric data protection, digital public infrastructure, internet shutdowns, cybersecurity and emerging technologies. He also spearheaded the Worldcoin data protection litigation in Kenya and contributed to constitutional litigation challenging internet shutdowns.

As part of the NOREC Exchange Programme, Jaika represented ICJ Kenya in the implementation of regional human rights programming in collaboration with the African Judges and Jurists Forum (AJJF), South Africa; Legal Resources Foundation (LRF), Zimbabwe; and Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI), Uganda. His engagement contributed to strengthening cross-border collaboration and advancing digital rights and climate justice advocacy at grassroots and community levels, linking regional human rights expertise with practical legal empowerment and advocacy initiatives. 

His broader work has included representing ICJ Kenya at international platforms including RightsCon 2025 in Taipei, the Internet Governance Forum 2024 in Riyadh and the Privacy International Global Convening in London. He has authored and contributed to publications on digital public infrastructure, internet shutdowns and digital governance in Africa.

Jaika is passionate about strengthening rights-based approaches to Africa's digital transformation, climate justice, democratic governance and access to justice, particularly by connecting international and regional human rights standards with community-level advocacy and legal empowerment. His long-term professional interests include deepening expertise in digital rights and data governance, strategic litigation, policy development and building platforms that advance human rights in Africa's rapidly changing digital and social landscape.

Jaika is a participant in the 2026-27 Human Rights Advocates Program at the Institute for the Study of Human Rights at Columbia University.