Nairobi, 17 July 2024: The Police Reforms Working Group (PRWG-K) acknowledges the resignation of the Inspector General of the National Police Service, Japhet Koome, amid the several cases of deaths, serious injuries and abductions in the context of the protests that began as Anti-Finance Bill protests. These protests were marked by several cases of human rights violations by the National Police Service (NPS), including extra-judicial killings, abductions, torture and other ill-treatment, and arbitrary arrests.

Welcome to the Kenyan Freedom Writers Events page! Our campaign is a testament to the power of community, literature, and collective action.

On International Children’s Day, Amnesty International Kenya v will celebrate three years of impact with “RIGHTS Click @3: Reflecting on Three Years of Impact.”

As we acknowledge and recognize the efforts of all those who were involved in the constitutional-making process in one way or another, it’s important to pause and reflect on their impact. Their invaluable contributions gave birth to a progressive Constitution with provisions that would previously have been perceived as a dream. Public participation as a national value and principle has transformed our governance structures and promoted, to some extent, our laws and policies towards being people-centred.

We are celebrating three impactful years of RIGHTS Click, Amnesty International Kenya’s pioneering program dedicated to advancing digital rights for young people. Through this initiative, we have empowered young advocates to navigate and influence the digital landscape, equipping them with the skills to combat challenges like online harassment, digital rights violations, and misinformation. As we mark this milestone, we honor the resilience, achievements, and growth of young people who are shaping a digital space that respects human rights and dignity.

President Ruto’s commencement of the Public Benefits Organisations Act (2013) surprised most Kenyans. The Act is probably one of the most neglected yet significant laws in Kenyan history. Now that the Act has been operationalized, what does it mean for thousands of soon-to-be Public Benefits Organizations and the rest of the nation?

The world is experiencing a rollback on human rights gains, with a significant section of the population going through different types of repressions. The media is awash with news highlighting shrinking civic spaces, identity-based discrimination, and other forms of human rights violations. Globally, solidarity actions such as the global #FreePalestine movement can no longer be ignored. Solidarity in the African context is not merely about joining worthy causes; it is about appreciating Ubuntu, understanding that we are siblings and that what affects one of us inadvertently affects all of us, thus the obligation to rise against any injustice anywhere.

Widely recognized as one of the most vibrant civil society sectors in the Eastern Africa region, Kenya has upwards of 50,000 NGOs, foundations, trusts, occupation-based associations, and organisations working at national, county and community levels.

Would you live your life differently if your life’s purpose was designed around a multi-generational problem or goal? This was the central question for over 2,000 civic leaders who attended the United Nations Civil Society Conference that closed yesterday.

STATEMENT

Since the commencement of the Kenyan Constitution 2010, public participation has been a mantra in most governance and development spaces. The supreme law of the land describes public participation as one of the national values and principles of governance. In a democratic society like Kenya, public participation ought to be a natural part of all governance processes. However, this is not always the case. Most public participation appears more of a formality to “tick the box” and cannot be termed meaningful.

Irungu Houghton: We were really saddened by the level of violence, amount of teargas, the return of armored water canon trucks. It demonstrates in many ways that our democracy is still not at a place where disagreement do not lead to mayhem and destruction.