Hon. Gladys Boss
Deputy Speaker, National Assembly of the Republic of Kenya
Gladys J. Boss is the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly in the 13th Parliament and serves as the Member Representing Uasin Gishu County. She holds a Master of Laws Degree (LLM) from University of Cape Town; a Masters of Business Administration Degree (MBA) from Jomo Kenyatta University; a Bachelor of Laws Degree (LLB) from University of Nairobi and a Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law. She is an Advocate of 29 years standing and a Certified Public Secretary (CPS). She is a United States International Visitor Leadership Program Fellow on the ‘U.S. Judicial System.
Formerly, she was the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary and the Secretary to the Judicial Service Commission and the National Council for Administration of Justice. She also served as the Deputy Chief Electoral Officer at Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC), the forerunner to the IEBC, (Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.) She was instrumental in delivering a successful referendum in 2010 that ushered a new constitutional dispensation in Kenya. During her tenure she spearheaded the first biometric registration of voters that is now used to date.
Glady J. Boss perhaps is synonymous with the National Council for Law Reporting (NCLR) where she served as the Chief Executive Officer and Editor. During her tenure she led the Council to pioneer the online publication of all Laws of Kenya, which were availed for free on the internet thus making Kenya the first country in Africa to provide such a service. The Council also established many other firsts under her stewardship including: pioneering the online publication of judgments; re-establishing a system of Law Reporting in Kenya after a twenty-year absence of the same, and; undertaking the digitization of the Kenya Gazette from 1900 to 2009. These achievements were recognized at various international forums and the Council’s website www.kenyalaw.org was during her tenure confirmed as being one of the best in local content. In 2011, the Council won the prestigious Technology in Government in Africa (TIGA) sponsored by the United Nations Public Service Awards. The World Bank Report on Success Stories Africa recognized her leadership and initiatives.
Gladys J. Boss served as Lecturer of Law at the University of Nairobi, School of Law where she taught Civil Procedure, Criminal Procedure, Child Law, Trial Advocacy and Local Government Law. She also served as Faculty Moot Court Advisor, Judge and Team Coach for the two most prestigious Moot Court Competitions in the world, i.e., The Jessup International Moot Court Competition and the African Human Rights Moot Court Competition. During her tenure, the Kenya team won the African Championship Cup five times and several world championship recognition awards.
She is a member of several international professional networks such as the Foundation for Legal Knowledge Based Systems (JURIX), LEXUM (University of Montreal) and the Legislative XML, (European University Institute). Her other professional memberships include the Law Society of Kenya, the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA Kenya), the International Association of Reporters of Judicial Decisions (ARJD) and International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ).
As part of her voluntary service to the country Gladys J. Boss served as a Board Member of the Nairobi International School of Theology/ International Leadership University, and is Vice President of the Board of the French School of Kenya, Lycee Denis Diderot.
