NAIROBI, Kenya – The Innovation Foundation for Democracy and ICJ Kenya have formalized a strategic partnership aimed at bolstering democratic governance, civic engagement, and legal empowerment across East Africa. The two institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) following a thought-provoking session at the Democracy Forum 2025, a landmark regional gathering focused on reimagining the future of democracy.
During the forum, Prof. Achille Mbembe, General Director of the Innovation Foundation for Democracy, delivered a powerful address calling on African youth to rise up and take an active role in civic life amid growing authoritarianism and shrinking civic space. He urged them to be innovative in demanding accountability from governance structures and to take ownership of their future.
Prof. Mbembe also emphasized the critical role civil society organizations must play in acting as watchdogs, holding those in power accountable, and resisting the normalization of corruption, impunity, and lawlessness that continue to erode democratic values across the continent.
Dr. Richard Makon, the Foundation’s Regional Coordinator for East and Central Africa, emphasized that the Democracy Forum is not just an event, but a vital space for collective reflection, collaboration, and innovation. He described the forum as an annual opportunity for the Oriental Laboratory to gather diverse voices, activists, researchers, artists, and political leaders to shape new practices and ideas that advance democracy.
Makon highlighted the Foundation’s Legal Activism program as a key pillar in enabling citizens, especially youth, to use the law to defend their rights, promote equality, and strengthen governance across the region.
ICJ Kenya Council Chairperson, Protas Saende, echoed these sentiments in his address, calling on participants to “lean into discomfort” and interrogate the state of public institutions, not to dismantle them, but to evaluate whether they still reflect the democratic ideals for which many have fought.He encouraged deeper reflection on public order, civic freedom, and the ongoing tension between power and participation.
“Let’s explore how gender, identity, art, and language shape democracy, not only in legal texts, but in real life,” he said. Saende also paid tribute to those who struggled for democracy in the region and challenged the current generation to build a freer, more just society for those who come after.
The MoU between the two organizations signals a commitment to joint initiatives that will support youth civic participation, promote access to justice, and strengthen democratic institutions through legal activism and advocacy. It also creates a framework for collaboration in research, capacity building, and public education aimed at resisting authoritarianism and enhancing civic space.
The Democracy Forum 2025 serves as the ideal backdrop for this partnership, bringing together activists, scholars, policymakers, artists, and youth leaders from across East Africa. Hosted by the Innovation Foundation for Democracy in partnership with ICJ Kenya, the forum is an annual platform for sharing ideas, experiences, and strategies that advance democracy on the continent.
The signed MoU not only formalizes the shared values of both institutions but also represents a timely and strategic response to the democratic challenges facing the region today.
