International Development Law Organization

Kenya

English

Since August 2010, Kenya has been implementing a new Constitution with an expanded Bill of Rights and ambitious government decentralization (devolution) processes. The transferring of a large number of national functions to 47 newly created county governments has strengthened accountability and public service delivery at local levels. Building on notable progress achieved over a relatively short period, efforts continue to align pre-existing laws with the Constitution and to enact new laws to implement its provisions. Particular focus is being placed on legal interventions that will address issues of transparency, gender equality, peace and security, and the climate crisis.

Kenya is a Member Party of IDLO, and since 2010 the organization has collaborated with the institutions responsible for implementing the key provisions of Kenya’s Constitution, particularly relating to the Bill of Rights, land and the environment, devolution, the judiciary, access to justice and representation of the people. A key component of IDLO’s work is advancing gender justice in the country’s courts and institutions, and operationalizing the gender provisions contained in the Constitution.

IDLO also works closely with the Judiciary of Kenya, including on commercial justice reforms, such as the implementation of e-justice solutions and the establishment of Small Claims Courts, which help to streamline and speed up court processes and expand access to justice. IDLO is also providing technical support to the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Court, and has helped develop policy and legal frameworks on managing and responding to SGBV. 

  An overview of IDLO's work in Kenya

 

KENYA: Strengthened regulatory and policy frameworks on healthy diets through advocacy and multisectoral coordination in Kenya

Under the framework of the Global Regulatory and Fiscal Capacity Building Programme (Global RECAP), this sub-project aims to contribute to the promotion of conducive regulatory and policy frameworks for healthy diets for all, as a means to prevent non-communicable diseases. In order to achieve this objective, the Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV&AIDS (KELIN) is supporting advocacy for healthy food practices in Kenya by strengthening country-level civil society coordination mechanisms.

KENYA: Supporting Prison Reforms in Kenya

This sub-project aims to support the efforts of the Kenyan State Department for Correctional Services (SDCS) to deliver services aligned with international standards. The Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (RWI) is supporting alignment of the Prison Information Management System (PIMS) with international standards, and delivering a training on its access, use and maintenance to prison staff.

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Key Initiatives

  • Justice within the context of commercial law is premised on the fact that an effective commercial justice system meets and facilitates the specialized needs of the business community and the private sector at large. However, there are persistent challenges related to the dispensation of commercial justice in Kenya.
  • Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes represent a major challenge for sustainable development and the achievement of Agenda 2030. They hamper social and economic development, increase inequalities, and perpetuate poverty. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), each year NCDs contribute to the deaths of 17 million people under the age of 70, with 86% of these premature deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries.
  • As part of IDLO’s continuous commitment to accountability and results-based management, IDLO is pleased to share this Evaluation Brief (summarised evaluation report): “Thematic Evaluation of the International Development Law Organization's (IDLO) Support to the Kenyan Constitution Implementation Process with a Focus on Devol
  • The Brief (or Lessons Learned Brief), titled Avoiding Violence and Enhancing Legitimacy: Judicial Preparedness for Handling Electoral Disputes in Kenya and Beyond, explores IDLO’s support to the Kenyan judiciary to resolve electoral disputes. The 2007 electoral violence in Kenya demonstrated that disastrous consequences can follow when the electoral dispute resolution system is not trusted to deal fairly and efficiently with contested elections.
  • Traditionally under the remit of environmentalists alone, biodiversity has now been recognized in the 2030 Agenda as a key element of global development that should be integrated across all sectors. Kenya’s Constitution includes provisions related to environment and natural resource management, which has given impetus to new laws, policies and other enabling legal instruments at the national and county levels.
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