Meet the 2024–2025 Barer Fellows

Four mid-career leaders were selected to enroll in the Sustainable International Development LL.M. Program and serve as change makers in their home countries upon graduation. This year’s scholars are Kassama Dibba, Cyrus M. Maweu, Justice Victoria Katamba and Kalenike Uridia.

2024 Barer Fellows

Kassama Dibba (The Gambia)

Kassama Dibba was born and raised in The Gambia, known as the smiling coast of Africa. She is a Barer Fellow and LL.M. candidate in Sustainable International Development (SID) at the University of Washington School of Law. Prior to joining the SID and Barer programs, she worked at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in The Gambia as a Programme Officer in the Women’s Leadership Project, collaborating with government partners and civil society organizations to promote women’s political empowerment. Driven by a passion for women's rights and governance, Kassama seeks to contribute to creating equitable opportunities for women in leadership roles. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the University of The Gambia and obtained a Barrister-at-Law (BL) degree from The Gambia Law School. She is deeply committed to advocating for human rights through her work, ensuring that women's voices are heard and represented in governance. During her LL.M. studies in Sustainable International Development, she aims to explore the interplay between rule of law, governance, and human rights, focusing on leveraging these interconnected areas to advocate for the rights of marginalized groups in society whilst also considering broader issues that impact them.

Cyrus M. Maweu (Kenya)

Cyrus M. Maweu is a Barer Fellow and LL.M. candidate in Sustainable International Development at the University of Washington School of Law.   Cyrus is a legal practitioner in Kenya with over 10 years in legal practice. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the University of Nairobi, a Post Graduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law, and a Master of Arts (M.A.) Degree in Development and Governance from the University of Duisburg in Essen, Germany. He has worked extensively with National Human Rights Institutions, Civil Society Organizations and the public in receipt and processing of complaints of human rights violations, provision of appropriate legal advice, human rights investigations, research, and advocacy. Cyrus has been involved in constitutional and human rights litigation and has successfully handled strategic Public Interest Litigation cases in Kenya. Cyrus is a certified International Criminal Investigator and a Certified Professional Mediator with a wealth of experience in legal research, litigation, and trial advocacy as well as the application of Alternative Justice Systems. He has served as a member of the National Steering Committee for the Implementation of Alternative Justice Systems (NaSCI-AJS) in Kenya and the Implementation Committee for the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights in Kenya. Cyrus has also served as a member of a Taskforce appointed to advise the Kenyan Government on implementation of the Judgment of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in the Ogiek of Mau case. An ardent supporter of the Rule of Law, Cyrus is passionate about access to justice and the rights of Indigenous People.

Justice Victoria Katamba (Uganda)

Justice Victoria Katamba is a Barer Fellow and LL.M. candidate in Sustainable International Development at the University of Washington School of Law. She serves as the Senior Resident Judge of the High Court of Uganda at Masaka High Court circuit. Prior to that, she served as an Advocate of the High Court of Uganda and as an advocate at several law firms, including Ayigihugu & Co. Advocates, Karuhanga & Co. Advocates, and Kampala Associated Advocates. In that period, she experienced the breadth of legal practice and especially represented women whose rights had been violated, secured the rights and welfare of children through domestic and international adoptions, among other accomplishments. In 2004, she founded a private law practice, Nkwanga and Partners Advocates, which she managed for fifteen years and used her position to not only train and mentor young lawyers, but to also ensure timeous resolution of family and land related matters. She holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree from Makerere University, a Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre, and a Master’s in Business Studies from the Eastern & Southern African Management Institute. She is an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, London, an International Finance Corporation-accredited Governance Trainer, a Trainer of trainers in Sexual & Gender Based offences, a trainer of Trial Advocacy with Justice Advocacy-Uganda, and a long-time teacher and leader of Bible study.  She has served on the Boards of Humanitarian organizations such as FIDA-U (The Association of Women Lawyers, where she is the outgoing Chairperson), One School at a Time, Dwelling Places, and Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau (UPMB). She also served as a National Coordinator with Paralegal Advisory Services under FHRI. She is a mother of four young men, and the first child in a family of eight. Justice Victoria is devoted to supporting advancement of international human rights instruments and advocating for promotion and protection of human rights for the better of humanity.

Kalenike Uridia (Georgia)

Kalenike Uridia is a Barer Fellow and LL.M. candidate in Sustainable International Development at the University of Washington School of Law.  Kalenike is a practicing attorney with an aim to help people pursue justice.  He has experience working at a non-governmental organization and a law firm in Georgia, where he worked pro bono to help people defend their rights. There, he had the opportunity to represent clients at the European Court of Human Rights, where he prevailed in a case concerning Article 6 (the right to a fair trial). He has also worked with the Constitutional Court of Georgia, where he was a Specialist of the Research and Legal Provision Department. He has published several academic papers in both Georgian and English and has taken part in many academic conferences in Georgia and abroad. He received his LL.B. (summa cum laude) at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Faculty of Law. Kalenike also participated in exchange programs at the University of Limerick, Ireland; the University of Münster, Germany; and Lumière University Lyon 2 in France. In Ireland and Germany, he studied American constitutional law and criminal procedure, which sparked his interest in US law and led him to publish several articles on related topics.  In Lyon, he studied business and economic law from comparative perspectives. Kalenike hopes to contribute to the development of his country to help Georgia become a member of the EU, which he strongly believes is the best way to ensure a dignified life for the people in his country.