KITUO CHA SHERIA - LEGAL ADVICE CENTRE
Kituo Cha Sheria – Legal Advice Centre (KITUO) is a national non-governmental organisation established in 1973 to advance legal empowerment, access to justice and human rights for poor and marginalised communities in Kenya. For over five decades, KITUO has pioneered community-based legal aid, public interest litigation, paralegalism and policy advocacy, helping individuals and communities overcome barriers to justice and claim their rights.
Guided by its vision of “A just, fair, and equitable society” and its mission “To advance legal empowerment, access to justice, and human rights for all,” KITUO works to make justice accessible, dignified and responsive to the lived realities of communities. Its work is anchored in five core values: justice, equity and fairness, integrity, volunteerism and survivor-centred practice.
Under its 2026–2030 Strategic Plan, Advancing People-Centred Justice for All in Kenya and Beyond, KITUO focuses on six interconnected strategic areas: Land, Environmental and Climate Justice; Governance Justice and Rule of Law; Migration Justice and Governance; Legal Aid and Empowerment; Economic and Social Justice; and Organisational Development and Sustainability.
KITUO advances its mission through legal aid and education, community paralegalism, public interest litigation, alternative justice systems, research and knowledge management, policy advocacy, civic awareness and strategic partnerships. It also integrates inclusion, mental health and psychosocial support into its interventions where legal needs intersect with trauma, exploitation and protection risks.
With a dedicated team of approximately 60 professionals and an extensive network of volunteer advocates and community paralegals, KITUO works with grassroots organisations, communities, justice institutions, civil society actors and development partners. Its interventions extend across Kenya’s 47 counties, with growing regional engagement in Africa and beyond, particularly on migration, displacement, grassroot justice and cross-border justice issues.
KITUO’s work has contributed to landmark public interest litigation, strengthened community justice structures, expanded legal awareness and improved access to legal assistance for marginalised communities. Its commitment to innovation is also reflected in initiatives such as M-Haki, an SMS-based legal assistance platform that enables members of the public to submit legal questions, and its broader use of research, communication and digital platforms to make legal information more accessible.
KITUO recognises collaboration as essential to advancing people-centred justice and strengthening collective action on human rights, governance and social justice. It participates in local, regional and global networks that bring together civil society organisations, grassroots movements and justice actors to influence policy, promote accountability and advance the rights of marginalised communities.
KITUO is the lead organisation and Secretariat of the Refugee Access to Work and Inclusion – Eastern Africa Coalition (RAWI-EA) and the Secretariat and Convener of the Land Sector Non-State Actors (LSNSA). It is also a member of the Civic Freedoms Forum (CFF), Missing Voices Coalition and Police Reform Working Group.
Regionally and globally, KITUO is a member of the African Alliance for People-Centred Justice (AAPCJ), a founding member of the African Centre of Excellence for Access to Justice (ACE-AJ), Regional Anchor for East Africa for the Grassroots Justice Network (GJN), and a member of the Steering Committee of the Global Strategic Litigation Council for Refugee Rights.
Our Motto
We Care for Justice
Our Vision
A just, fair, and equitable society
Our Mission
To advance legal empowerment, access to justice, and human rights for all.
Our Values
Justice (Haki), Equity and Fairness (Usawa), Integrity (Uadilifu), Volunteerism (Kujitolea), Survivor Centred (Kumweka Mhusika wa Ukatili)
We always
see hope
Nevertheless, the establishment of the Faculty of Law at the University of Nairobi in 1970, provided big space, far beyond what Dar-es-Salaam University could manage, thereby opening up for more law students. Subsequently, more lawyers were trained, giving rise to an emergence of a crop of young conscientious ones committed to ensure that the poor in Kenya had access to legal advice and justice. These brand of lawyers volunteered their free time in the evenings to provide advice, draft pleadings and direct helpless litigants to the respective courts or tribunals. The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) which is one of the oldest Faith Based organization and engaged in advocacy and social justice, provided the physical space needed for these consultations.
It is also important to note that Kenya is among the few countries that have a vibrant civil society spread all over the country. This growth stems from the peoples’ struggles for decolonization, liberation from post-colonial oppression through political, socio-economic and legal regimes.
Subsequent to the high demand for legal advice and the dedication and work by pro bono lawyers, KITUO Cha Mashauri which later became KITUO Cha Sheria (Legal Advice Centre) was founded by young lawyers, then students at the University of Nairobi. These were Hon. Chief Justice Willy Mutunga (emeritus), Dr. David Gachukia, Senior Advocate-Steve Adere, Senior Advocate Murtaza Jaffer, Hon. Justice (Rtd) J.V Juma and Hon. Lady Justice (Rtd) Mary Ang’ awa who for a long time, sat under a tree in Ngara, within Nairobi County to offer free legal advice and education to poor Kenyans. This humble but focused and visionary work of these young lawyers at KITUO Cha Sheria inspired other professionals and social justice advocates to engage with legal aid and advice.
For a considerable time, it was only KITUO that provided pro bono legal services as there were no other organizations. Even though the government offered legal aid, the demand for KITUO’s services increased, resulting in the gradual institutional growth. It took considerable time before KITUO secured stable funding for its secretariat and programmes, until the Ford Foundation started supporting the organization in 1988. Over these years, the funding-base and partnership of KITUO has gradually expanded and currently it owns property on which the headquarters is located and there are plans to put up a ‘House of Justice’ on the same, in order to secure future sustainability of KITUO.
KITUO offices are located in strategic and accessible places by all the poor and marginalized people, including persons with disabilities. KITUO has improved accessibility of people with disability and will continue to address other related challenges. The Nairobi headquarters (HQs) is located along Ole Odume Road, (Off Argwings Kodhek Rd,) on its own property. The Mombasa regional Office is located on Kulyani Hatimy Road, Kizingo-Mombasa Opposite the Mombasa Law Courts, Mombasa. Given the amount of work with the marginalized communities who reside in the marginal areas of Kenya, KITUO will consolidate its work and enhance a decentralization plan during the plan period through opening up more centres in the rural settings.
Currently, the number of lawyers and other full time staff is over sixty (60). With strengthened institutional framework, KITUO has rapidly expanded its programmes and more of its clientele can access justice.
Most clients of KITUO are on one hand poor and vulnerable people living in the urban slums, and on the other hand, poor and marginalized communities from the semi-Arid and Arid lands where communal conflicts and access to justice is limited due to inadequate justice, infrastructure and lack of awareness. Although the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 has a progressive Bill of Rights, the culture that has evolved in Kenya over the decades of unjust relationships between landlords and tenants especially in slum areas and workers with their employers, will take time to curb. Hence, housing, land and labour rights remain a major area of concern in accessing justice and legal advice. KITUO continued to design programmes and projects to deal with the systemic causes of inequality and injustice with particular focus on the poor across the country, including forced migrants and internally displaced persons.
Kituo has over the year been recognized for her service winning various local and international awards including the Civil Society Organization of the Year Award (2010) and the LSK Distinguished Award Winner (2014). Other accolades include the BBC Radio Documentary- One Media Award for prison paralegal work in Shimo La Tewa Prison (2014), nomination for the Rockefeller Foundation award (2013), nomination for the Innovative Justice Award by the University of Tilburg (The Hague) and most recently the NGO Leadership Award 2016 at the 6th Africa NGO Leadership Awards. Kituo Cha Sheria’s M-Haki team also participated in the World Justice Challenge that took place during the World Justice Forum from 29th March-2nd May 2019 in The Hague, Netherlands. M-Haki was selected from over 250 applications received in total as one of 30 projects to be showcased at World Justice Forum VI. The Challenge was central to showcasing successful solutions that deliver justice and strengthen the rule of law.