President William Ruto’s Senior Advisor on Constitutional Affairs, Professor Makau Mutua, has been named one of the top legal scholars globally, according to the prestigious 2024 ScholarGPS rankings.

Prof. Mutua was recognised as being in the top 0.5 per cent of legal scholars worldwide, earning the distinguished “Top Scholar Lifetime” designation.

He ranked 295th globally in the field of General Law and an impressive 46th in Human Rights.

ScholarGPS, a leading platform that tracks scholarly excellence, ranks academics based on the impact of their research, measured through publication volume, citations, and quality (h-index).

The platform draws from a vast database of more than 30 million detailed scholar profiles and 200 million scholarly publications, categorised into over 350,000 specialities.

“Highly Ranked Scholars are, for the first time, identified within each speciality, discipline, field, and across all fields,” the platform notes on its website.

To qualify, scholars must rank within the top 0.05 per cent globally, with Top Scholars falling within the top 0.5 per cent.

The rankings consider both lifetime and recent five-year academic performance, adjusting for co-authorship and excluding self-citations.

ScholarGPS praised his “outstanding performance” and “strong publication record,” confirming his position as one of the most influential scholars globally.

This recognition is the latest in a series of accolades for the Kenyan-born legal scholar and human rights advocate.

A former Dean of the University at Buffalo School of Law, Mutua is currently a professor at the State University of New York (SUNY) Buffalo School of Law, where he teaches international human rights, international business transactions, and international law.

He also serves as Vice President of the American Society of International Law and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Prof. Mutua’s global recognition comes months after his recent appointment by President Ruto as Senior Advisor on Constitutional Affairs in the Executive Office of the President.

In a statement issued on April 30, 2025, Ruto praised Mutua’s deep expertise in constitutional, legal, and human rights matters.

“I have appointed Prof. Makau Mutua as the Senior Advisor on Constitutional Affairs in the Executive Office of the President,” Ruto said.

“Prof. Mutua brings a wealth of experience in legal, constitutional, and human rights matters. Congratulations, Prof. Mutua. I welcome you to join a dynamic team of public servants in the implementation of our Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.”