Njoki Mbũrũ

Njoki Mbũrũ is a policy practitioner from Kenya, currently pursuing a Master of Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. She is a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at the University of Oxford and a member of Christ Church. Njoki brings an interdisciplinary approach to public policy, combining grassroots experience, storytelling and systems thinking to drive community-centred change.

She graduated with top honours from the University of British Columbia, where she designed a custom degree linking social policy, environmental science and data-driven analysis. Her fieldwork spans Kenya, Canada and Indonesia, and includes evaluating community-led environmental projects, conducting rural development assessments and supporting youth-led campaigns on public policy and environmental justice. In Canada, she facilitated a leading Youth Public Policy programme, mentoring emerging leaders across British Columbia and co-developing an alumni strategy to strengthen the long-term impact of youth-led initiatives. Most recently, she managed place-based community projects, using storytelling and relational leadership to build belonging and cohesion.

Njoki’s passion for community storytelling is a thread that runs through her essays, public speaking and performance poetry, where she explores themes of governance, connection and diaspora mental health. At Oxford, she hopes to help shape sustainable, context-specific policy frameworks through dialogue, innovation labs and collaborative learning. Her work reflects a commitment to inclusive governance and Africa-focused impact—guided always by the question: 'What else is possible?'