ICJ Kenya is a leading authority in Kenya on current issues in International Criminal Justice. ICJ Kenya undertakes projects aimed at the promotion and improvement of human rights protection in Kenya, and around the African Continent. The main goal of ICJ Kenya’s International Criminal Justice initiatives is to raise awareness on International Criminal Justice mechanisms, focusing especially on the International Criminal Court (ICC), and to empower various stakeholders to be able to engage with International Criminal processes at the policy, legislative and implementation levels. ICJ Kenya has been involved in two major projects under this initiative:
The East African International Criminal Justice Initiative (EAICJI): Supported by the European Commission of the European Union, EAICJI seeks to transform the ICC into an effective tool for addressing impunity for the gravest violations of human rights in the East African region. EAICJI is implemented by ICJ Kenya, and functions through effective partnerships with host organizations in the following 6 countries: Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Uganda, and Burundi.
The key activities of EAICJI are:
- Building regional networks to spread awareness and build capacity on the Rome Statute and ICC processes
- Providing technical assistance and necessary information for the proper legislative and policy domestication of the Rome Statute
- Promoting the principle of complementarity, and encouraging states to investigate and adjudicate international crimes
- Supporting mechanisms for victim participation and witness protection
- Lobbying for cooperation, implementation and objective discourse of the Rome Statute with state governments, the East African Community, and the African Union
ICJ Kenya has been heavily involved in monitoring the ongoing ICC cases involving the Kenyan situation, and has engaged with the media and other stakeholders to provide commentary and analysis of the decisions and developments.
ICJ Kenya is also a member of the working group focusing on ICC processes – Kenyans for Peace, Truth, and Justice. The main focus of this group is to provide objective, impartial information on the ICC, to advocate for victim participation in ICC processes, and to ensure that justice is pursued in relation to past violations of human rights by the Kenyan government.