About Us

Peter Tibigambwa is Chief Operations Officer at Justice Defenders, where he drives the integration of vision with practical interventions to ensure our work meets the needs of the defenceless while challenging systemic injustices. He previously led road safety reforms in Uganda with Safe Way Right Way, shaping legislation, convening the first African ministerial meeting on road safety, and rolling out an award-winning safe schools initiative across 130 schools. Earlier, his work in prison justice reform earned recognition from the Duke of Sussex as an innovator. A collaborative leader, Peter is committed to community empowerment and amplifying the voices of the defenceless.

Matteo Cassini is the Director of Development and Communications at Justice Defenders, leading global fundraising, communications, partnerships, and expansion. He holds a Master’s Degree in Social Policy and Development from the London School of Economics, where he won the 2018 Titmuss Prize for Best Dissertation. Over the past decade, Matteo’s work in academia, across Africa, and inside prisons has been integral to Justice Defenders’ journey, combining deep organisational knowledge with strategic vision. His leadership has secured transformative funding, built powerful alliances, and elevated the organisation’s global voice, driving forward its mission to equip the defenceless to become defenders of justice.

Canaan is a lawyer and human rights advocate serving as Legal Officer and Senior Defender at Justice Defenders Uganda. After completing his University of London LLB in 2022 while incarcerated, he became a Global Freedom Fellow with the Incarceration Nations Network in Cape Town. He now leads access to justice initiatives across four Ugandan prisons, supervising Legal Assistants and nearly 100 trained paralegals among prisoners and prison staff, together providing free legal advice and representation to those most often overlooked. His work has included public interest litigation challenging the death penalty and indefinite detention of individuals of unsound mind, advancing humane and inclusive legal reforms. Grounded in lived experience, Canaan embodies the transformative power of legal empowerment behind bars and is a powerful voice for justice as a right, not a privilege.

Morris Kaberia is the Global Education Lead at Justice Defenders, guiding legal education and practice across Kenya and Uganda to ensure high-quality services in all legal offices. A former police officer, he was arrested in 2005, sentenced to death in 2013, and during his incarceration joined Justice Defenders’ paralegal program while pursuing a University of London law degree. Using his legal training, he successfully appealed his conviction and was released in 2018. Since then, he has served as a legal officer, advanced to Global Education Lead, and engaged in public interest litigation that has shaped criminal justice jurisprudence in Kenya. Having completed the Advocates’ Training Program at the Kenya School of Law in 2023, Morris is now undertaking his pupillage, aspiring to qualify as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya—a journey from defenceless prisoner to defender of justice.

Adebisi Desalu-Odiase brings over 10 years of experience in C-suite support, specialising in governance, project management, HR, and administration. A seasoned senior executive assistant to CEOs, directors, trustees, and founders, Adebisi focuses on developing simple, reliable systems that transform strategy into daily operations. Of Nigerian and Irish heritage, Adebisi is married with two children and enjoys swimming, cinema visits, wildlife documentaries, and road trips. At Justice Defenders, Adebisi collaborates with colleagues across the organisation to understand operational challenges and co-create processes that boost efficiency and impact. She is passionate about continuous improvement, lifelong learning, child development, and supporting stroke survivors.

From the shadow of the gallows to the halls of justice, William Okumu’s journey is one of profound transformation. A father of six, he was sentenced to death in 2009 and during 11 years of incarceration became a pioneer student of the University of London’s LLB programme at Kamiti Maximum Prison, empowering fellow prisoners through legal training and contributing to landmark cases that reshaped Kenyan jurisprudence. Now free and an Advocate, he brings over 16 years of criminal litigation experience to Justice Defenders, where he has advanced from Legal Quality Assurance Officer to Advocate, integrating innovative legal education and trauma-informed practices to transform service delivery, with a commitment to dismantling systemic barriers so the defenceless are never without a capable advocate.

Hamisi Mzari is Acting Legal Practice Lead at Justice Defenders, overseeing legal practice across 18 prisons and managing a team of advocates, lawyers, and paralegals. A former National Bank of Kenya employee, he was dismissed in 2000, arrested in 2007, and convicted in 2011. While incarcerated, he witnessed the deep injustices caused by lack of legal access and began assisting fellow prisoners with no training beyond a curious mind. This ignited his passion for justice, leading him to formally study law through Justice Defenders’ Legal Education Programme. After his release in 2014, he continued his journey and, on 23 November 2023, was admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya. Having lived the justice system from both sides of the bar, Hamisi now leads change from within, committed to empowering the voiceless and ensuring justice is truly just.

Ruth Ouso is the Director of Finance at Justice Defenders, where she oversees financial operations across Africa, the UK, and the US. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA-K), she brings over a decade of experience in the non-profit and profit sectors, with expertise in financial governance, strategic management and strengthening transparency and accountability. Ruth is passionate about ensuring resources are stewarded with integrity to maximize impact and bring justice, dignity and hope to the communities Justice Defenders serves.

Anthony Makumbi serves as Countries Leadership Lead for Uganda and Kenya, as well as Director of Information Technology and a member of Justice Defenders’ Servant Leadership Team. He provides strategic oversight across our country programmes, working closely with the Country Servant Management Teams to implement our global strategy in ways that reflect our values and bring justice to clients in prison. With extensive global operational experience, he combines leadership with technology to enhance governance, drive digital transformation, and build sustainable systems that improve access to justice. Collaborating with prison authorities, staff, and partners, he ensures our mission to train prisoners and prison officers as paralegals is carried out with integrity and compassion. Passionate about helping people break free from prison bars, Anthony envisions a future where those once silenced not only defend the defenceless but also influence legal systems that perpetuate injustice, advancing justice through servant leadership.