Kenya

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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

The Shadow Pandemic: Addressing gender-based violence during COVID-19

Violence against women has long been recognized as a global epidemic, and the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly escalated threats to women’s safety, security and access to justice.

Webinar - Access to Justice in the Context of COVID-19 in East Africa: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda

Access to Justice in the Context of COVID-19 in East Africa

REGIONAL WEBINAR

Access to Justice in the Context of COVID-19 in East Africa: Experiences from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda

Rule of Law in the time of COVID-19: Kenya

Like all other parts of public life, the administration of justice and access to legal remedies and dispute resolution have been severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Call for Concept Notes - Kenya

IDLO is implementing a project in Kenya and other four countries that aims to strengthen the country’s capacity to promote healthy diets and increase physical activity for the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Program activities focus on capacity building for more effective regulatory and fiscal interventions, supporting the development and use of relevant research, and convening multi-stakeholder dialogues and collaboration between civ

Protecting children: Court annexed mediation in Mombasa

Court Annexed Mediation was rolled out in Mombasa for the Tononoka Children’s Court. The project, led by the Alternative Dispute Resolution Task Force of the Kenyan Judiciary, and supported by IDLO, will set an example for the rest of the country on how Mediation enhances access to justice for children and offer protection for children within the justice systems.

Disclaimer: This event was organized at the beginning of March 2020, before the Kenyan Government put in place restrictions to protect the population from the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Key Initiatives

Supporting commercial justice sector reforms in Kenya

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.
Global RECAP: Capacity building to prevent NCDs

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.
Evaluation of the project "Support to Kenyan Constitutional Implementation Process with a Focus on Devolution and Gender Reforms"

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
Lessons Learned Brief - Avoiding Violence and Enhancing Legitimacy: Judicial Preparedness for Handling Electoral Disputes in Kenya and Beyond

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.
Mainstreaming biodiversity in Kenya

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.