Moses Okinyi:
ICJ Kenya has the mandate to promote and protect human rights, advocate for the observance of rule of law, and promote democracy and good governance through the application of legal expertise and international best practices.
Through the Human Rights Protection Program (HRPP), ICJ Kenya aims to achieve its mission and vision through advocacy, creation of awareness, and capacity building.
LegalAid enables society’s poor and marginalized groups to better understand and exercise their rights and entitlements, resolve their disputes peacefully, and seek remedies for grievances and thereby enjoy equal protection of the law. As part of our 60th Anniversary celebrations ICJ Kenya is conducting a series of legal aid clinics and community awareness forums across the country.
In the year 2018, ICJ Kenya monitored and document human rights violations across six (6) regions in Kenya; Taita Taveta, Meru, Laikipia, Kwale, Kitui, and Transmara. This was made possible through the active paralegal networks in the respective regions. The paralegals were able to assist 1204 clients between 2017 and 2018. Taita Taveta recorded the most number of children cases (100 cases) during that period.
In Kwale, the narrative of the Warudi Community raises human rights issues as the community is currently stateless while living in Kenya. The Warudi community arrived in Kenya before Independence and are scattered in the coastal region.
Their plight to be awarded citizenship has not been addressed by the government. This has left them bereft of enjoying socio-economic services like applying for jobs, going to school, getting medical cover, acquiring birth and death certificates, among others. Additionally, the members of the community, as a minority, neither have the capacity nor the awareness to advocate for their rights.
Through advocacy, capacity building, and creating awareness, ICJ Kenya has been sensitizing the communities in Taita Taveta on Children’s rights and in Kwale on the Rights and fundaments freedoms as enshrined in the Constitution of Kenya, 2010.
The Constitution of Kenya 2010 makes comprehensive and rich provisions of rights and fundamental freedoms that each individual is entitled to. Despite the robust provisions, a majority of Kenyans at the grassroots are still not aware of their rights.
By conducting community sensitization forums in Taita Taveta and Kwale Counties, ICJ Kenya is creating the platform to build capacity of the communities in the grassroots through Radio talk shows, which are far-reaching, and offering free legal aid services to the indulgent persons who cannot ordinarily afford or access the services of an advocate.
Throughout this week, 10th Feb – 16th Feb 2019, ICJ Kenya will:
- Offer legal aid services to the communities in Kwale and Taita Taveta
- Build capacity of communities and create awareness on rights and fundamental freedoms and human rights protection through sensitization via Radio talk show.
- Build capacity of the paralegal networks in Kwale and Taita Taveta through training and offering refresher courses.
- Conduct community forums to sensitize the public on opportunities for human rights protection in new legislation
With this project we aim to enhance accountability for human rights violations and build the capacity of citizens to effectively respond to human rights issues.
