Lead Legal And Policy Consultant

Role Overview

This consultancy places an experienced legal, regulatory, and standards expert at the centre of Kenya’s effort to join the UN 1958 Agreement and overhaul motorcycle helmet safety. The consultant will work with the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, the Kenya Bureau of Standards, the National Transport and Safety Authority, and the National Helmet Wearing Coalition to align national policy with UNECE R22.06, build consensus across government and industry, and turn technical requirements into workable enforcement tools.

Day to day, the work involves analysing current legislation and institutional mandates, drafting accession documents and policy briefs, advising decision-makers during inter-ministerial consultations, and leading production of a national guideline for certifying, importing, manufacturing, inspecting, and monitoring motorcycle helmets. The outcome matters because stronger standards and credible enforcement save lives, remove unsafe products from Kenyan markets, and open the door to mutual recognition of helmet approvals across UNECE member countries.

Key Responsibilities

• Assess Kenya’s legal, policy, regulatory, and institutional readiness to accede to the UN 1958 Agreement, including identifying gaps in existing helmet laws, standards, customs procedures, and surveillance systems.
• Develop a realistic accession roadmap with milestones, assigned responsibilities, timelines, and supporting actions for government adoption.
• Draft and review legal instruments, technical briefs, policy papers, Cabinet memoranda, and submissions needed for national approval and parliamentary consideration.
• Recommend amendments to Kenya’s motorcycle helmet standards and technical regulations so they align with UNECE R22.06, WTO TBT principles, and international conformity assessment practice.
• Lead creation of the National Implementation Guideline for helmet compliance, including certification procedures, import verification, market surveillance, traceability, enforcement protocols, and practical tools such as checklists and inspection templates.
• Conduct situational and institutional assessments covering helmet manufacturing, importation, testing, distribution, retail, enforcement, and barriers to the availability and uptake of certified helmets.
• Facilitate structured consultations and consensus-building among ministries, regulators, standards bodies, customs authorities, private sector actors, civil society, and development partners through the National Helmet Wearing Coalition.
• Provide ongoing technical advisory support to the Project Steering Committee and keep stakeholders informed through progress reports, policy dialogues, validation workshops, and final deliverables.

Requirements & Qualifications

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Law, Public Policy, Engineering, International Trade, Regulatory Affairs, Standards and Conformity Assessment, Transport Policy, International Relations, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of professional experience in legal and regulatory reform, international standards, technical regulations, public policy, or institutional strengthening.
• Demonstrated experience advising governments on the accession, ratification, or implementation of international treaties, agreements, or regulatory frameworks, preferably within the UNECE or United Nations system.
• Strong technical command of the UNECE 1958 Agreement, UN Regulation No. 22.06, type approval systems, conformity assessment, market surveillance, and standards harmonisation.
• Proven experience drafting or reviewing national legislation, regulations, implementation guidelines, standard operating procedures, or related policy instruments.
• Working knowledge of WTO Technical Barriers to Trade obligations, mutual recognition, and equivalence principles for technical regulations and standards.
• Track record of conducting legal, institutional, regulatory, or market assessments and converting findings into practical policy and regulatory recommendations.
• Facilitation experience with high-level multi-stakeholder processes, including working groups, policy dialogues, and validation forums involving government, standards bodies, private sector, development partners, and civil society.
• Familiarity with government institutions such as ministries, standards bureaus, customs authorities, and transport regulators, preferably in Africa or other low- and middle-income countries.
• Excellent analytical, legal drafting, policy writing, presentation, and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to deliver high-quality reports within agreed deadlines.