Kuresha Bille
Isiolo County
From the vibrant gateway to the north of Kenya,Isiolo town, Kuresha Bille traces the beginning of her human rights journey back to 2016. Over the years, her memory has become a living archive of both the scars and resilience of her community. Witnessing the devastating impact of land conflicts often exposing women and girls to gender-based violence, systemic exclusion, and long-lasting trauma became the crossroad moment that set her on the path of becoming a woman human rights defender.
One of the achievements she is most proud of is sustaining a landmark court case between 2019 and 2024 involving residents of Burat Ward and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF). The case centered on the ownership and use of land claimed by the military for security purposes.
The Burat case emerged after the government issued eviction notices to residents living on the disputed land.
“In 2019, the Ministry of Defense issued eviction notices to thousands of residents.They argued that the land belonged to the government and was needed for military operations. However, I led the filing of a petition with the community in court, challenging the eviction and arguing that removing our community members without consultation violated our constitutional rights to land and housing,” she explains.
“In 2024, the High Court ruled in favour of our residents, stopping the planned evictions and protecting thousands of people from displacement.” She states.“I was also elected as the Chairperson of the Burat Community Land Group, which gave me the opportunity to vocalize the injustices faced by the community at large, such as displacement, disinheritance of widows, and community conflict.”
Through her work, Kuresha has also witnessed a gradual shift within the community. Increasingly, women are standing together to confront land-related gender-based violence and challenge long-standing cultural norms that have historically excluded them from decision-making.
“There was a time in our community when you could easily be singled out, ridiculed, or even ostracized for speaking on communal matters in the presence of men,especially elders,” she recalls.”
Despite her commitment, her work is hampered by persistent challenges; negative profiling and safety concerns continue to be the primary barriers to her advocacy efforts.
“The work of defending human rights has made me an outsider in my community,” she admits. Often labeled a troublemaker or a disruptor, she has faced significant pushback; in what she believes was a targeted attack, even her close family members have been threatened.”
Moreover, the requirements of her role necessitate traveling across extensive distances, sometimes through volatile regions, to address urgent rescue missions; this has frequently placed her personal security at risk.
Despite these challenges, Kuresha has found the strength to prioritize her mental wellness. She credits initiatives like the psychosocial support provided by the Defenders Coalition for helping her find grounding and the motivation to persevere.
Beyond her advocacy, she sustains her wellbeing through community support networks. She is an active member of women’s self-help groups that provide both emotional solidarity and a path toward economic sustainability.
“I love that I can take time in my kitchen garden to decompress,a project I started through NiMama Mashinani,” she says.
Kuresha is a beneficiary of the NiMama Mashinani Livelihood Diversification Project, a Defenders Coalition initiative that empowered 40 Indigenous Women Human Rights Defenders in Isiolo and Marsabit in 2025. The program strengthened their livelihoods through agroecology and sustainable climate adaptation practices. Since participating, she has played a key role in cascading this knowledge to other women across Isiolo, promoting both individual livelihoods and community resilience.
“Violations zikizidi, shikana na wanawake wenzako,” she says, reflecting on the profound power of solidarity. Even in her darkest moments, it was her fellow women human rights defenders who stood by her.
Describing the collective strength she has witnessed, she adds:
“The voices of the weak become amplified when HRDs come together.”
For Kuresha, the power of networks and collective action remains the core of the fight for justice, dignity, and equality.