A defender is characterized by the activity of promoting and protecting human rights. In answering the question ‘Why Focus on WHRDs, the report provides a starting point on the understanding of the challenges faced by WHRDs in Kenya in the course of their human rights work and the reasons why WHRDs in Kenya face these challenges in the course of their human rights work.

Women Human Rights Defenders, who put themselves on the front line in the promotion and protection of human rights, are subject to the same types of risks faced by their male HRDs, but as women, they are also targeted for or exposed to gender-specific violence and violations that have gendered consequences.

Violations that have gendered consequences refers to violations that are experienced by both male and female defenders, but may have different consequences for WHRDs because different social and cultural norms govern the gender identity, sexuality, and gender role of women in different
contexts. For instance, arbitrary arrest or detention of WHRDs adds an additional threat of sexual assault or violence when in custody.

Access the fact sheet for this report here: https://defenderscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Gendered-Risk_-Challenges-WHRDs-Face.pdf

Job

Senior Program Officer, Sexual Health and Rights (Africa)

Location of Position

New York, NY, Kenya, or Uganda

Reporting Relationship

Director, Sexual Health and Rights

ABOUT AJWS

American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is the leading Jewish organization working to pursue justice and fight poverty in the developing world. By supporting hundreds of social change organizations in 19 countries, we respond to the most pressing issues of our time—from disasters, genocide and hunger, to the persecution of women and minorities worldwide. With Jewish values and a global reach, AJWS is making a difference in millions of lives and bringing a more just and equitable world closer for all.

OVERVIEW OF DEPARTMENT

AJWS works to increase access to services and end discrimination, violence and abuse of women, girls, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people and sex workers, so that they can access the full spectrum of opportunities in society and live in health, safety and dignity.

OVERVIEW OF POSITION

The Senior Program Officer (SPO) manages AJWS’ dynamic sexual health and rights grantmaking in Africa, coordinates capacity-building and programmatic opportunities for in-country staff and grantees, coordinates with other funders, and engages in strategic learning and evaluation in order to document AJWS’s impact and to improve grantmaking strategies, with a specific focus on Uganda, Kenya and Liberia. The SPO collaborates closely with country consultants and the Director of Sexual Health and Rights to develop and implement strategy in sexual health and rights. The SPO seeks strategic opportunities for partnership and collaboration that leverage AJWS’s grantmaking and promote the work of grantees, develops initiatives that advance AJWS and grantees’ work, and contributes to funder affinity groups and networks to deepen knowledge in the field.

The ideal candidate will have a proven record as a strategic grantmaker or related activism and advocacy in the field of sexual health and rights, with experience working in East and/or West Africa and in-depth knowledge of the legal, political, social and economic contexts in the region. S/he must also have a keen understanding of how local activists need to partner with national and global activist networks to create impactful change.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Develop, implement, monitor and evaluate dynamic grant making strategies in Uganda, Kenya and Liberia, in collaboration with the Director of Sexual Health and Rights, staff and consultants;
• Advance grant making program in Sexual Health and Rights by identifying new grantees, developing proposals, supporting grantees with technical assistance and access to opportunities, respond to crises and emergencies and refining grant making strategies based on learning and evaluation in close partnership with country-based staff;
• Identify and deepen relationships with collegial donors, civil society organizations, activists, policymakers and other allies;
• In partnership with the Senior Program Officer of Land, Water and Climate Justice or other staff with a portfolio in country, directly manage AJWS country consultants/staff in Uganda, Kenya and Liberia, and work closely with them to implement portfolio strategies in country.
• Engage staff to build capacity across countries and thematic areas to address key programmatic priorities aligned with AJWS strategic plan, staff professional development goals and portfolio needs;
• Develop and oversee grantmaking budget and operational plans for Uganda, Kenya and Liberia, in conjunction with the Director of Sexual Health and Rights
• Monitor the Sexual Health and Rights team grant making budget and operational plans in conjunction with the Director of Sexual Health and Rights;
• Identify emerging issues and trends in Uganda, Kenya and Liberia, as well as across the East and West African regions, and utilize findings to determine funding priorities and develop grantmaking strategies and initiatives;
• Collaborate with grantmaking colleagues to identify and analyze regional and global trends and document lessons learned and cross regional/thematic learning;
• Partner with other members of the Sexual Health and Rights team to establish departmental priorities, learning agenda, be a thought partner with the Director of SHR in developing departmental processes, and build a shared departmental identity;
• Organize and conduct at least two to three trips in the focus countries per year for exploratory research, site visits, partner meetings, and monitoring and evaluation;
• Partner with Strategic Learning, Research and Evaluation division to identify research projects that can strengthen country-based grantmaking and/or document the learning emerging from AJWS’s grant making to inform the field of HR funders and related fields of philanthropy/development;
• Partner with development staff to manage relationships, lead and plan study tours and other donor engagement visits to focal countries, write reports and fulfill other contractual obligations of donors that are supporting AJWS’s work;
• Collaborate with members of the advocacy team and International Education and Jewish Engagement to ensure a close integration of the priorities of AJWS’s grantees with AJWS’s advocacy efforts in the U.S. and internationally;
• Increase AJWS’s visibility and profile by presenting AJWS’s work to donors, collegial organizations, networks and policymakers;
• Play a leadership role in funding networks and policy arenas to advance the advocacy agendas of AJWS grantees and improve the field of international human rights funding

Qualifications

• BA/BS required; Masters degree in relevant field (law, public policy, public administration, public health) strongly preferred;
• Minimum of seven years of working at a foundation, international development or human rights organization in the field of sexual health and rights, with work experience in East and/or West Africa required;
• Experience with, and commitment to, grassroots social justice and human rights movements;
• Demonstrated knowledge of issues related to stigma and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, expression and sex characteristics
• Excellent analytical and writing skills; experience writing or reviewing grant proposals;
• Demonstrated experience in managing staff;
• Excellent public speaking and presentation skills and experience managing donor relations;
• Proficiency in reading, writing and speaking in English required; ability to speak Swahili or French highly desirable;
• Working understanding of human rights norms and practices, feminism(s), international development, and grassroots social movement building;
• Proficiency reviewing, monitoring and evaluating budgets and financial documents;
• Enthusiastic about spending up to 6-9 weeks per year traveling in the focus countries and/or internationally;
• Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends;
• Highly organized, with the proven ability to work independently, prioritize and complete multiple projects, meet deadlines and maintain consistent attention to detail; and
• Ability to work in and with diverse communities.

Compensation and Benefits Information:

• Additional information will be provided as candidates progress further in the recruitment process.

Additional Considerations:

People of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex, trans and gender non-conforming people; women; and differently abled people are encouraged to apply. We also encourage applications from people of diverse religious, spiritual and cultural backgrounds.

All candidates must have legal work authorization in US, Kenya or Uganda.

How to Apply:

For immediate consideration, please email your resume and cover letter to AfricaSHRCareers@ajws.org

Deadline to apply is January 28, 2019.

We thank you for your interest in career opportunities with AJWS. Due to high volume, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

AJWS is an equal opportunity employer and provides competitive salaries and benefits

Front Line Defenders is currently accepting nominations for the 2019 Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk.

As 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the seminal Stonewall uprising which led to the global movement of LGBT+ Pride marches, the 2019 Front Line Defenders Award will prioritise honouring the work of human rights defenders (HRDs) at risk working to defend and advance the rights of the LGBT+ community.

The annual Front Line Defenders Award was established in 2005 to honour the work of HRDs who are courageously making outstanding contributions to the promotion and protection of the human rights of others, often at great personal risk to themselves. The Award focuses international attention on the HRDs work, providing them with a greater national and international platform to speak about and advocate for their work.

From an open nomination process, 5 HRDs will be identified as regional award winners for Africa, the Americas, Asia, ECA and the MENA and from these 5 regional winners, an overall global Award laureate will be identified by a jury of Irish and European parliamentarians.

If you would like to nominate a HRD working on LGBT+ rights for the 2019 Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk, please follow this link to the secure online nomination form: 2019 Front Line Defenders Award – Nomination Form

Please note that the nomination process will remain open until midnight (12am GMT) on Friday, 5th January 2019.

The right to privacy is a fundamental right protected in law across the world including Kenya as stipulated in the Bill of Rights in the 2010 Constitution. It is essential to the protection of human dignity and serves as the foundation upon which many other rights are built. Privacy denotes “that area of individual autonomy in which human beings strive to achieve self realization … alone or together with others.”

Human rights work demands use of communication tools ranging from face-to-face, telephones and e-mails and short message services (SMS). All these provide varied degrees of risk, which are also specific to the work the HRDs are engaged in, as well as contexts. Numerous Kenyan HRDs have raised concerns about their mobile phones being tapped and their communication intercepted.

NCHRD-K’s Salome Nduta presents the report to the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom Of Association and Assembly During the RightsCon event in Tunis, Tunisia. 

These experiences have implications for HRDs and, therefore, it is essential to ensure that HRDs are not the subject of unlawful surveillance practices and that they are able to do their work without fear of snooping by anyone.

This report analyses the needs, concerns and areas of interest for HRDs in relation to privacy, data protection and communications surveillance. It also establishes how surveillance impacts HRDs work and their role as actors of change in society. Examining the risk levels based on these specifics as well as finding the best-suited measures will be important for continued HRDs protection.

HRDs drawn from Kericho, Bomet and Nakuru counties engage in a question and answer session during the launch of the report in Kericho Town in May 2019

This survey set out to:
• Assess HRDs’ level of exposure, understanding, and perception of communication surveillance;
• Document HRDs’ current strategies for mitigating, perceived or actual communication
surveillance.

   HRDs attend a class on Right to Privacy during the 2018 Human Rights Defenders Academy. 

See the Fact Sheet of the Research here: https://defenderscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/A-Perception-Survey-on-Communication-Surveillance.pdf

Justice and Peace Netherlands is launching a new call for human rights defenders at risk to participate in the Shelter City initiative around March 2019. The deadline to apply is 30 November 2018. 

Shelter City offers human rights defenders (HRDs) at risk a possibility for rest and respite by letting them escape temporarily from a threatening situation. The initiative can benefit human rights defenders that are threatened or under intense pressure due to their work. Shelter City is an initiative coordinated by Justice and Peace Netherlands together with  municipalities in the Netherlands, local partners, and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

How does Shelter City work?

Through temporary relocation, human rights defenders will be offered a shelter for 3 months in one of the Shelter Cities in the Netherlands, during which they can rest, continue their work in safety, build up capacity (including a one-week compulsory training on security), extend their network and raise awareness about the situation in their country. Activities can include meetings with NGOs and public authorities, public lectures, rest or leisure, treatment for work-related problems, continuing working on human rights in their country, raising awareness of human rights among the Dutch public or participating in local initiatives organised by the municipality and/or the host organisation. At the end of the programme, participants are expected to return with new tools and energy to carry out their work at home. A monthly stipend, accommodation, health insurance, visa and return flight tickets to The Netherlands are provided.

Who can apply for Shelter City?

For the purposes of Shelter City, the term HRD is intended to refer to the broad range of activists, journalists, scholars, writers, artists, political figures, lawyers, civil rights defenders, independent media professionals, civil society members, and others working to advance human rights and democracy peacefully around the world.

Applicants must fulfill the following conditions:

In order to be eligible to the Shelter City programme, HRDs must meet the following conditions:

1. They implement a non-violent approach in their work;

1. They are threatened or otherwise under pressure due to their work.;
2. They should be able to be relocated for a period of maximum 3 months. Limited spots are available for people who are not able to stay for the full 3 months;
3. They are willing and able to return to their country of origin after 3 months;
4. They are willing to speak publicly about their experience or about human rights in their country to the extent that their security situation allows.
5. They have a conversational level* of English (limited spots are available for French or Spanish speaking HRDs);
6. They are willing and able to come to The Netherlands without accompaniment;
7. They are willing to begin their stay in The Netherlands around March 2019.

*By conversational English we mean that participants’ level of English allows them to actively participate in a training, speak about their work, communicate with the host city, etc.

Note that additional factors will be taken into consideration in the final round of selection, such as the added value of a stay in The Netherlands as well as gender, geographic, and thematic balance. Please note that we can only accept HRDs currently residing in a third country under exceptional circumstances.

To apply or submit the application of a human rights defender, please fill in the form by clicking ‘Apply Now’ below. Application forms must be completed by 30 November 2018, at 23:59 CET (Central European Time). An independent commission will select the participants.

Apply Now for Shelter City 2019

Note that the selected human rights defenders will not be automatically allowed into the Shelter City programme as Justice and Peace is not in control of issuing the required visas to enter the Netherlands.

For more information, please contact: sheltercity@justiceandpeace.nl.

Justice and Peace Netherlands is launching a new call for human rights defenders at risk to participate in the Shelter City initiative around March 2019. The deadline to apply is 30 November 2018. 

Shelter City offers human rights defenders (HRDs) at risk a possibility for rest and respite by letting them escape temporarily from a threatening situation. The initiative can benefit human rights defenders that are threatened or under intense pressure due to their work. Shelter City is an initiative coordinated by Justice and Peace Netherlands together with  municipalities in the Netherlands, local partners, and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

How does Shelter City work?

Through temporary relocation, human rights defenders will be offered a shelter for 3 months in one of the Shelter Cities in the Netherlands, during which they can rest, continue their work in safety, build up capacity (including a one-week compulsory training on security), extend their network and raise awareness about the situation in their country. Activities can include meetings with NGOs and public authorities, public lectures, rest or leisure, treatment for work-related problems, continuing working on human rights in their country, raising awareness of human rights among the Dutch public or participating in local initiatives organised by the municipality and/or the host organisation. At the end of the programme, participants are expected to return with new tools and energy to carry out their work at home. A monthly stipend, accommodation, health insurance, visa and return flight tickets to The Netherlands are provided.

Who can apply for Shelter City?

For the purposes of Shelter City, the term HRD is intended to refer to the broad range of activists, journalists, scholars, writers, artists, political figures, lawyers, civil rights defenders, independent media professionals, civil society members, and others working to advance human rights and democracy peacefully around the world.

Applicants must fulfill the following conditions:

In order to be eligible to the Shelter City programme, HRDs must meet the following conditions:

1. They implement a non-violent approach in their work;

1. They are threatened or otherwise under pressure due to their work.;
2. They should be able to be relocated for a period of maximum 3 months. Limited spots are available for people who are not able to stay for the full 3 months;
3. They are willing and able to return to their country of origin after 3 months;
4. They are willing to speak publicly about their experience or about human rights in their country to the extent that their security situation allows.
5. They have a conversational level* of English (limited spots are available for French or Spanish speaking HRDs);
6. They are willing and able to come to The Netherlands without accompaniment;
7. They are willing to begin their stay in The Netherlands around March 2019.

*By conversational English we mean that participants’ level of English allows them to actively participate in a training, speak about their work, communicate with the host city, etc.

Note that additional factors will be taken into consideration in the final round of selection, such as the added value of a stay in The Netherlands as well as gender, geographic, and thematic balance. Please note that we can only accept HRDs currently residing in a third country under exceptional circumstances.

To apply or submit the application of a human rights defender, please fill in the form by clicking ‘Apply Now’ below. Application forms must be completed by 30 November 2018, at 23:59 CET (Central European Time). An independent commission will select the participants.

Apply Now for Shelter City 2019

Note that the selected human rights defenders will not be automatically allowed into the Shelter City programme as Justice and Peace is not in control of issuing the required visas to enter the Netherlands.

For more information, please contact: sheltercity@justiceandpeace.nl.

63^rd Ordinary Session of the Africa Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights

Banjul, Gambia

Public Session; Human Rights Situation in Africa

25^th October 2018

Statement by NATIONAL COALITION OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS KENYA (NCHRD-K)

Madame Chairperson, distinguished Commissioners, State Delegates, representatives of NHRIs and NGOs.

On behalf of the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders -Kenya (NCHRD-K), I would like to thank the Commission for this opportunity to raise some of the key human rights concerns from Kenya.

We are particularly concerned that the legitimate role of protection and promotion of human rights carried on by human rights defenders and Civil Society Organizations is criminalized and target for reprisal by both state and non-state actors. Below are a few incidences of violation of human rights fundamental freedoms of human rights defenders in Kenya:

Freedom of Association: Kenyan police have continued to harass and threaten HRDs that  demand justice for victims and advocate for accountability for serious injuries, death and destruction of property by security agents following unrest that took  place post 2017 general elections. Most of the incidents reported by HRDs include threats of arrest, warnings against posting information about police brutality, home and office raids, and confiscation of laptops and other items. The National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders documented up to 15 cases where activists suffered these intimidation tactics.^[1]The protection of HRDs should be adhered to as prescribed by law.

Freedom of Expression: On 29 May 2018, The High Court in Nairobi temporarily suspended 26 sections of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Bill, which was signed into law by the President on 16 May 2018, after an appeal by the Bloggers Association of Kenya, among others.^[2] While the objective of the law was to address issues including cybercrime, cyber bullying, phishing, and fake news, the law contains provisions which threaten the freedom of expression, right to privacy, the right to a fair trial. On 3 July, the suspension of the 26 provisions was extended when the Court will hear an application by the Attorney General to have the suspension lifted on the basis that it was erroneously issued.

On 31 July, during a parliamentary session, two journalists with the privately-owned People Daily newspaper were threatened with being barred from covering future parliamentary proceedings and summoned to a legislative committee. The summons was allegedly in connection to stories published on 30-31 July accusing MPs of taking and soliciting bribes from organizations and individuals they were meant to be investigating.^[3]Such threats and intimidation tactics affect on the freedom of journalists to carry out their legitimate work.

Freedom of Information: In October 2018, the Kenya government introduced a 15% excise duty tax on internet services through a new Finance bill, effected on 15^th October. The Bill restricts Kenyans’ access to internet services which plays a major role in promoting access to information.

Freedom of Peaceful Assembly: Police arrested two environmental activists on 25 May 2018 during a protest against plans to set up a coal-fired power plant at Kwasasi, Lamu County. The group had sought permission to peacefully assemble and demonstrate but their request was rejected by police who deemed the protest “unlawful.”^[4]

The fact that the individuals were arrested while peacefully protesting raises concerns regarding the Kenyan government’s respect for the constitution, Article 11 of the African Charter of Human and Peoples Rights and international law standards that safeguards the right to peacefully assemble.

In light of these updates and observations, we urge the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to:

• Call on the Kenyan Government to provide a conducive legal environment that will ensure that Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) carry out their work without fear of reprisal.
• Call on the Kenyan government to cease the harassment of journalists who work towards providing information including on the status of human rights in Kenya
• Call on the government to remove exercise duty tax being charged on internet tariffs to ensure that Kenyans from all walks of life can access the Internet.
• Urge Kenya to Develop a policy/law for the protection of Human rights Defenders
• Urge Kenya to revise sections of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Bill that seeks to limit freedom of expression and privacy.

I thank You

^[1] https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/06/04/kenya-police-threaten-activists-reporting-abuse

^[2] http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/ea/Court-suspends-portions-of-Kenya-cybercrime-law/4552908-4586250-1kaa55/index.html

^[3] https://cpj.org/2018/08/kenyan-parliamentarians-harass-journalists-followi.php

^[4] https://www.nation.co.ke/counties/lamu/Police-arrest-2-anti-Lamu-coal-plant-protester/3444912-4579706-ymfm8l/index.html

Nairobi, 17 September 2018

Preliminary findings of Country Visit to Kenya by the United Nations Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism 7 to 17 September 2018

At the invitation of the Government of Kenya, I conducted an official visit in the country from the 7^th to 17^th of September 2018.  First, I wish to sincerely thank the Government of Kenya for its openness and good cooperation in ensuring that the visit was most fruitful. I am also grateful to the United Nations, in particular the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Kenya for facilitating all aspects of my visit.

During my visit, I travelled to the cities of Nairobi, Thika, Embu, Eldoret, Kisumu and Migori. The following comments represent my preliminary findings following consultations with a wide variety of stakeholders including members of the Executive, Judiciary, Legislature, Health service providers, the Kenyan National Human Rights Commission, Gender and Equality Commission, civil society, persons with albinism themselves including victims of attacks and their families, the United Nations Country Team and Development Partners.

Overall

I wish to deeply congratulate the government of Kenya for the specific and concrete measures it has undertaken to improve the situation of persons with albinism and their enjoyment of human rights. All measures taken to-date particularly the entrenchment of an annual substantial budget dedicated specifically to persons with albinism indicate that the government had – even before the global adoption of Agenda 2030 – “set out to leave no one behind, starting with the furthest behind first”. This approach has been indispensable to the ongoing process of bringing persons with albinism from the margins into the centre, to stand as empowered constituents of the disability movement and to begin to access their rights in all areas such as health, education and above all, to life and security of person. That said, there are gaps that need to be closed, efforts that need to be consolidated, and more steps to be taken, for Kenya to fully take its place as a deserving champion on this issue in particular, as well as a leader in the area of effective strategies for leaving no one behind.

Attacks and Security of Person

As this mandate was created in context of alarming witchcraft-related physical attacks against persons with albinism in the region, it is fitting that I begin with observations concerning the right to life and security of persons with albinism.  In total there are 14 reported cases of such attacks in Kenya from civil society. These include murder, mutilation, kidnapping, attempted kidnapping, and trafficking of persons and body parts. These are reported cases alone. It is important to note that no single organization in Kenya is dedicated to or focuses on monitoring and reporting attacks in a systematic way. A preliminary field research conducted this year revealed that e persons with albinism in many parts of Kenya, particularly in the border areas such as Migori and Taita Taveta counties still live in fear of attack particularly during the elections of Kenya and those of neighboring countries. Given the minority status, quantitatively-speaking, of persons with albinism, an attack on one is a significant threat to all. Accordingly, many persons with albinism in Kenya take protection measures on their own initiative including maintaining around-the-clock watch over their children. Some take their children everywhere with them while others have quit or altered their job and career paths to dedicate more time to protecting their child.

Given the regional patterns of these attacks, which – from the hundreds of cases reported to date – indicate that family members and close friends are often involved, including in some cases reported in Kenya, it is important that a situational analysis be conducted to amass evidence of a wider scope to ascertain the real state of affairs concerning security issues faced by persons with albinism.

Access to Justice

Persons with albinism in general need improved access to legal protection and remedies. I welcome reports of care shown by police in certain instances and the creation of a hotline by the National Council on Persons with Disabilities. However, these measures need to be widely publicized in addition to the work of other existing mechanisms supporting and protecting the rights of peoples with albinism such as the Kenyan National Human Rights Commission and their branch offices and partners. Moreover, victims of attacks and violations as well as their families are in need of support in rebuilding their lives and restoring their dignity including the provision of legal, medical and socio-economic assistance. Perpetrators of violations against persons with albinism also need to be systematically brought to justice. Indicators of access to justice properly implemented should include not only victim support but also proper remedies including holding those responsible accountable for their acts.  Efforts should also be made to raise awareness about existing mechanisms for remediation and their respective locations.

Right to Education

I visited several students with albinism from different districts, in order to assess the situation for persons with albinism enrolled in private and public schools in Kenya.

I noticed that children with albinism are usually enrolled in special schools, such as schools for the blind, even in cases where they are not legally blind. At these schools, some of them are taught braille and are therefore not enhancing the use of their total or residual vision. That said, many persons with albinism still prefer to attend these schools for various reasons from security to acceptance as well as understanding from teachers and students alike. These are elements which are – for the most part – not present in the mainstream schools even though Kenya has adopted an inclusive education policy.

Furthermore, I learned that there is no tuition fee for primary schools in Kenya. While there are no tuition fees per se at these schools, there is a boarding fee at special schools, amounting to 26.000 Kenyan Shillings (260 US Dollars) per year. According to several of my interlocutors, an overwhelming majority of persons with albinism are poor or extremely poor and therefore unable to attend these schools. Although there is a Cash Transfer Program for financially supporting persons with severe disability who are financially challenged, the program is generally not applied to persons with albinism even though the criteria for qualifying is open and includes persons with disabilities who report living in danger. Without the requisite support, many with albinism are forced to go to mainstream schools where there is no reasonable accommodation and sometimes (severe) bullying occurs.

In both public special schools and even in a well-funded private integrated school, I noticed that students with albinism did not have all the necessary assistive devices, particularly monocular, which are indispensable for achieving quality education for persons with albinism in primary and secondary schools.

Unfortunately, without reasonable accommodation and sometimes lack of understanding from the teachers, students tend to drop out from both public and private schools. The effect being low education levels, which usually results in the absence of the necessary social or economic tools to live productive lives. This in turn leads the majority of persons with albinism into outdoor jobs that expose them to the sun and subsequently a higher risk of skin cancer.  Data from neighboring countries show that skin cancer is the number one killer of persons with albinism with reports indicating that only 2 percent live beyond age 40.

With simple and concrete measures, such as a provision of monocular which I understand are already available in the country, low vision materials, extra time on tests and exams, specialized teachers and the proper support, including financial support to the students with albinism, they can break out of the vicious cycle.

Discrimination

Discrimination and stigma against persons with albinism is still prevalent in Kenya although it varies from city to city. When persons with albinism walk in the streets, it is common to hear people call out to them: “millions” or “pesa” meaning money. The normalization of these names creates a context of insecurity for persons with albinism including by confirming the misbelief that their body parts can generate wealth. It also indicates that there is a dearth in understanding around the condition of albinism itself.

Many of my interlocutors also reported bullying in job-recruitment processes owing to the colouring and appearance of persons with albinism, even before the potential employer is aware that the person with albinism also has vision impairment.

That said, several persons with albinism indicated that in their subjective assessment, discrimination and stigmatization against persons with albinism in the country has begun to decline – but only slowly. The decline was largely attributed to the presence of high-level officials with albinism including the Senator and the Judge of the high-court. Such affirmative action should be increased given their effectiveness in changing mindsets. However, to further speed up the change in mindset at the rural and border areas, the strategy of sensitization has to include mass sensitization efforts at the grassroots for a – based on best practices  – minimum period of two years. Such sensitization should be wide in scope, continuous and not ad hoc; they should also target particular sectors such as education and health and should use both Kiswahili and local languages and involve persons with albinism themselves.

Right to Health

I was pleased to learn that the Government, through its Albinism Programme, housed at the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), has launched a special program to provide free sunscreen, after-sun products and sun protective lip balm (“prevention kits”) to all persons with albinism in Kenya. For this and other related programs, I was informed that the Government has allocated 100 million Kenyan Shillings (1 million US dollars) each fiscal year. This programme is of immense importance for preventing skin cancer.

The prevention kits are distributed in 190 hospitals in Kenya, and offered to persons with albinism free of charge. Unfortunately, I also heard of cases where persons with albinism had been denied the prevention kits because they did not have health insurance which some cannot afford. Moreover, there are inconsistencies in distribution such that some hospitals or health workers distribute the prevention kits without proof of health insurance while others do not. I welcome the NCPWD’s commitment to audit and refine this process to ensure accessibility and availability of this essential health product to all persons with albinism in all regions of the country.

Although sunscreen is an essential health product, it is not listed as an essential drug, which could make it available in areas outside of the districts and result in a lower tax on imports. In addition to listing it as an essential drug, I also strongly encourage Kenya to start producing sunscreen locally. The modalities of doing so in the region exist and this venture promises to further refine this portion of the albinism program and serve as another avenue for employment.

For some people, especially those living outside of Nairobi, access to free sun care can become a financial challenge, as they will sometimes have to travel far to receive it. In addition, I was informed that the hospitals often run out of the prevention kits which adds to the logistical difficulties and the financial burden for those who travel in vain. In the districts where there is an active civil society, such as in Embu district, a group of people take it upon themselves to inform those who live in remote areas when the hospitals run out

There are around 30 clinics for persons with albinism in Kenya. I have met some truly dedicated health care providers, who informed me that they offer counselling, proper skin care and if necessary refer them to other hospitals that are better equipped. However, both the health care providers and the clients recognised a need for more special training for health providers in order to provide better service for persons with albinism. It was also evident that wide-spread advertisement is needed to make persons with albinism all over the country aware of this health service. It was made very clear to me that many people, mainly those living outside of Nairobi, had never heard of the sunscreen program, or the clinics.

I welcome the Government’s approach to introduce Universal Health Care. It is my understanding that persons with disabilities including persons with albinism are part of the process of developing this framework. I look forward to learning more about this and to what extent it affirms and builds up the existing Albinism Programme

Data Collection

I welcome the inclusion of the indicium on albinism in the Washington Group Set of Questions to be used in the 2019 Household and Population Census. Such information is crucial to improving and fine-tuning the Albinism Programme. That said, the highest standards of data protection should be applied in context of ongoing security concerns in certain parts of the country. Data from the census should also lead to a situational survey of the particularities of this group of people so that existing measures can reach those who have been left behind.

Recommendations

Summary recommendations are listed as follows with a comprehensive list to be provided in the official report of my visit to Kenya which will be presented at the UN human rights council in March 2019.

It is generally recommended that Kenya

• Undertake a situational survey to identify gaps in security and protection measures for persons with albinism particularly in rural and border towns
• Carry out intensive continuous awareness-raising about albinism across the country but particularly at the local and rural community levels with emphasis at border towns; and these should involve persons with albinism in all stages of the process.
• Refine the Albinism Programme, in particular improving the availability and accessibility of sunscreen; and also improving the affordability, quality and availability of low vision devices particularly monocular for students and prescription glasses. The Programme also needs to enhance stakeholder engagement including through a coordinated audit of the Programme and a simultaneous development of a national action plan.
• Adopt a national action plan on the issue as recommended by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights consisting of specific and concrete measures achieved to date as well as those to be carried out and achieved.