Defenders Coalition embarked on a range of solidarity, movement building and capacity enhancement efforts to deliberately promote and support those on the forefront championing and supporting the rights of others in Kenya. Below is a aummary of the activities that we have undertaken within the first week of October 2020.

Taita Taveta Paralegals needs Assessment

The Executive Director, Kamau Ngugi and Wellness Officer -Esban Muthoni paid a courtesy call to human rights defenders (Paralegals Network) in Taita Taveta County to assess their workings environment as well as assess their training needs. The county’s community based numbers have substantially grown over time, thus equally need movement consolidation and capacity enhancement in issues ranging from security management, monitoring, documentation and reporting.

Moreover, Defenders Coalition stood with  a group of 7 HRDs who have been facing charges of unlawful assembly and the case has dragged in court for close to 5 years. Taveta Law Courts magistrate, on Tuesday 6 October 2020,  ruled that the accused HRDs have a case to answer on the charges and the matter is set to proceed. This is an act of the long list of punitive action by the state to intimidate, threaten and punish HRDs enjoying fundamental provision of the Constitution of Kenya, specifically Article 37 of the constitution. Defenders Coalition will follow the proceedings of the case closely to ensure that the HRDs are not subjected to undue reprisals in the process.

Linkages meeting between indigenous minority groups and community land rights advocates

Defenders Coalition also partnered with Indigenous People Groups in Kenya, specifically hunter gatherer communities to explore areas of synergy to establish functional linkages with civil society organizations that support and advocate for community and ancestral land rights of minority groups in Kenya.

The partnership took place in Naivasha and is intended to strike meaningful and collective championing of the rights of Indigenous People in Kenya.

Supporting Women Human Rights Defenders sensitize young girls and mothers in Baringo County

Defenders Coalition supported Women HumanRights Defenders from Ilchamus Ward in Baringo County conduct a sensitization forum with young girls on gender based violence, that have since escalated during covid-19. The pandemic has exposed human rights defenders young girls to harmful practices that threaten the realisation of their full potential as human beings. The activity that was conducted during the eve of the International Day of the Girl Child, the forum aimed to sensitize young girls and mothers to be change-makers and offer solutions to the challenges that they face.

The platform also served to encourage young mothers to pursue education even after teenage pregnancies.