On 19 June 2026, Kituo Cha Sheria reached a defining moment in its 53-year journey of championing justice by officially launching its Strategic Plan 2026–2030 under the theme, “Advancing People-Centred Justice for All in Kenya and Beyond.” The new strategy sets an ambitious course for the organisation’s work over the next five years, strengthening its commitment to ensuring justice is accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of poor and marginalized communities.

The launch brought together distinguished leaders and stakeholders from Kenya’s justice sector, reflecting the broad partnerships that have shaped Kituo’s work over the years. Among those in attendance were Law Society of Kenya – Nairobi Branch President Eric Kivuva, FIDA Kenya Executive Director Sophie Kaibiria, Mr. Andrews Kananga from the African Centre of Excellence for Access to Justice, Mary Airo of the Paralegal Society of Kenya, Akingbolahan Adeniran of the African Alliance for People-Centered Justice (AAPCJ), Vivek Maru CEO of Namati, alongside representatives from the Parliament of Kenya, the Judiciary, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), civil society organisations, development partners, and other justice sector actors.

Building on more than five decades of legal empowerment, public interest litigation, policy advocacy, community paralegalism, and research, the Strategic Plan responds to emerging justice challenges while reinforcing Kituo’s enduring mission of advancing legal empowerment, access to justice, and human rights for all. The strategy recognises the evolving realities facing communities, including climate change, forced migration, economic inequality, governance challenges, shrinking civic space, and rapid technological transformation, all of which continue to shape access to justice across Kenya and the region.

At the heart of the Strategic Plan are six interconnected strategic focus areas that will guide Kituo’s work through 2030:

• Land, Environmental and Climate Justice – Promoting environmental rights, protecting community land, and advancing climate justice through legal empowerment and advocacy.
• Governance Justice and Rule of Law – Strengthening constitutionalism, accountability, public participation, and access to justice.
• Migration Justice and Governance – Protecting the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, and other vulnerable migrants while promoting durable and inclusive solutions.
• Legal Aid and Empowerment – Expanding access to legal aid, public interest litigation, legal empowerment, community paralegalism, and Alternative Justice Systems (AJS).
• Economic and Social Justice – Advancing the protection of labour, housing, health, education, and other socio-economic rights for vulnerable communities.
• Organisational Development and Sustainability – Strengthening institutional capacity, innovation, partnerships, resource mobilisation, and organisational resilience to deliver lasting impact.

These focus areas reflect Kituo’s belief that justice challenges are interconnected and require integrated, community-driven solutions. Through this Strategy, the organisation will continue delivering legal aid and education, strengthening community paralegalism, pursuing strategic public interest litigation, generating evidence through research, influencing policy, expanding public legal awareness, fostering innovation, and building partnerships that place communities at the centre of justice systems.

The Strategic Plan also positions Kituo to respond to emerging justice issues through innovation, technology, evidence-based programming, and stronger collaboration with state institutions, civil society organisations, academia, grassroots movements, and development partners. By strengthening these partnerships, Kituo aims to expand access to legal aid, enhance public legal awareness, improve documentation of human rights violations, and support inclusive participation in governance and justice processes.

Alongside the launch of the Strategic Plan, Kituo also unveiled the Self-Representation Manual for Small Claims Court Litigants, a practical resource designed to strengthen access to justice for everyday Kenyans navigating the justice system without legal representation. Developed with support from UNDP Amkeni Wakenya, the Manual provides clear, simplified guidance to help litigants confidently present their cases before Small Claims Courts. By breaking down legal procedures into easy-to-understand steps, the publication advances legal empowerment and makes justice more understandable, accessible, and usable at the grassroots level. The Manual exemplifies the vision of the Strategic Plan by advancing people-centred justice through innovation, legal aid, and community empowerment, while reducing barriers to justice and promoting the timely resolution of disputes.

As Kituo embarks on implementing the Strategic Plan 2026–2030, the organisation remains committed to working alongside communities, justice institutions, civil society, government, development partners, and regional actors to address emerging human rights challenges and expand access to justice. Guided by its vision of a just, fair, and equitable society, Kituo will continue empowering people to know the law, use the law, and shape the law, ensuring that people-centred justice transforms lives and communities across Kenya and beyond.

By Rony Alal
Communications Officer, Kituo Cha Sheria

The High Court of Kenya has declared that the Government violated the constitutional and human rights of Kenyan migrant workers in the Middle East and ordered comprehensive reforms to strengthen their protection.

In this landmark public interest petition filed by Kituo Cha Sheria on behalf of victims of labour migration abuses, the Court directed stronger regulation of recruitment agencies, enforcement of the legal framework governing foreign employment, and the development of a comprehensive Labour Migration law and a harmonised national labour migration policy.

The petition, Constitutional Petition No. E038 of 2023, was filed on 25 February 2023 before the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nairobi. It challenged the State’s failure to protect Kenyan migrant workers from modern-day slavery, human trafficking, exploitation, violence, torture, abuse and deaths in Middle East countries, while seeking accountability for violations committed against migrant workers.

The matter was heard before Lady Justice Jemimah Keli, who delivered judgment on 19 June 2026, holding that the petition had merit and that the State had failed in its constitutional obligation to protect Kenyan migrant workers.

In her judgment, Justice Keli declared that Kenyan migrant workers and victims of labour migration abuses are entitled to effective protection by the State against modern-day slavery, human trafficking, violence, physical injury, threats, deportation, rape, death and other human rights violations. The Court found that the Government had neglected and abdicated this constitutional responsibility.

The Court further held that the failures and omissions of the State violated the petitioners’ legitimate expectation of accountability, as well as their constitutional rights to life, human dignity, freedom from slavery and servitude, freedom from torture, access to information and fair labour practices.

Among the key orders issued, the Court directed the Ministry of Labour, the Kenya National Employment Authority, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Directorate of Immigration and other relevant State agencies to strictly enforce existing laws governing foreign contracts of service by requiring recruitment agencies to deposit security bonds. The Court also ordered an immediate fresh vetting of all local employment recruitment agencies to strengthen oversight and accountability within Kenya’s labour migration system.

Recognising the existing policy and legislative gaps, the Court directed that the judgment be transmitted to the Office of the Attorney General for consideration in developing a comprehensive Labour Migration law and a harmonised national labour migration policy to better safeguard Kenyan migrant workers.

The Court further ordered the Government to repatriate, at State expense, the body of the late Lucy Wambui Ng’ang’a, one of the victims whose death formed part of the petition, and recommended that the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights follow up on investigations into her death and other unexplained deaths of Kenyan migrant workers in the Middle East.

While declining to award monetary compensation, the Court held that the declarations and orders issued sufficiently vindicated the constitutional rights of the petitioners, noting that the case was brought in the broader public interest to protect all Kenyan migrant workers rather than only the individual petitioners. Each party was ordered to bear its own costs.

The judgment marks one of Kenya’s most significant judicial pronouncements on labour migration and reinforces the State’s constitutional duty to protect citizens working abroad. It also provides a clear roadmap for reforms aimed at strengthening governance, accountability and protection within Kenya’s labour migration framework.

Read the full judgment: https://kituochasheria.or.ke/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Judgement-for-middle-east.pdf

By Rony Alal
Communications Officer, Kituo Cha Sheria

Justice systems are being called upon to answer a fundamental question: is justice truly achieved when a dispute is concluded, or when people’s lives, relationships, and communities are transformed? Across many communities, justice is experienced not only through court decisions but also through restored relationships, peaceful coexistence, dignity, and solutions that respond to everyday realities. This requires a broader understanding of justice, one that goes beyond the number of cases filed or concluded and focuses on whether people are heard, empowered, and able to access meaningful remedies.

At a time when justice systems across the world are increasingly challenged to respond to complex social realities, understanding who remains excluded, where justice gaps persist, and what interventions create lasting impact requires more than statistics. It requires listening to communities, analysing evidence, and recognising people as active participants in shaping justice solutions.

This is where Alternative Justice Systems (AJS) continue to play a critical role. By providing accessible, participatory, and community-driven approaches to resolving disputes, AJS offer important pathways for addressing justice gaps and ensuring that justice systems respond to the needs of the people they serve. However, strengthening these systems requires more than recognition; it requires evidence, lived experiences, innovation, and collaboration to understand what works and how justice outcomes can be measured.

These conversations formed part of the 4th Annual Alternative Justice Systems (AJS) Conference at Embu University, where Kituo Cha Sheria contributed to discussions drawing from decades of experience in legal empowerment, community justice, and advocacy for accessible and responsive justice systems. Through panel discussions, Movement Assemblies, and thematic convenings, Kituo shared perspectives on the role of data, community participation, paralegalism, technology, and Alternative Justice Systems in addressing justice gaps and strengthening people-centred pathways to justice.

Measuring Justice beyond Access

A key conversation during the conference focused on how justice should be measured. While traditional justice indicators have often focused on case numbers, disposal rates, and efficiency, stakeholders reflected on the need to examine whether justice processes are actually improving people’s lives, restoring relationships, and addressing the challenges communities face.

Kituo Cha Sheria Executive Director, Dr. Wambua Kituku, participated in a panel discussion on “Measuring Justice Realization and Justice Gaps,” where he highlighted the importance of moving beyond access to justice and focusing on meaningful justice outcomes.

Dr. Kituku emphasised that understanding justice needs requires reliable evidence that captures the experiences of communities, including those who remain excluded from formal justice pathways. He highlighted the need for stronger collaboration with institutions like the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) to integrate justice needs data into national census and survey processes.

“Access to justice is only the beginning. We must also understand whether justice is reaching those who need it most, whether their challenges are being addressed, and whether the solutions provided are improving their lives. Working with institutions like KNBS to integrate justice needs data into national census and survey processes is essential in identifying who is being left behind, where justice gaps exist, and how we can develop more responsive and inclusive justice solutions,” Dr. Kituku, Executive Director, Kituo Cha Sheria.

Drawing from Kituo’s work across Kenya, data must be complemented by community experiences. Understanding how people experience justice challenges on the ground is critical in shaping legal empowerment programmes and ensuring that justice interventions respond to real needs rather than assumptions.

Community-Centred Solutions for Land Justice

The role of community participation in justice delivery was further explored through discussions on Land Justice, where Programme Officer Patricia Nekoye highlighted the importance of equitable access to land, inclusive dispute resolution, and the contribution of Alternative Justice Systems in addressing land-related conflicts.

Land disputes often involve more than legal claims; they affect livelihoods, family relationships, identity, and community stability. Through community-based approaches, AJS provides opportunities for disputes to be resolved in ways that promote dialogue, participation, and peaceful coexistence.

“Land disputes are often about more than ownership; they affect livelihoods, identity, and community cohesion. Alternative Justice Systems provide an opportunity to resolve these conflicts in ways that promote fairness, participation, and lasting peace,” Patricia Nekoye, Programme Officer, Kituo Cha Sheria.

Strengthening Justice through Community Paralegals

Communities cannot meaningfully participate in justice processes without knowledge, support, and access to information. This is why community paralegals remain central to advancing people-centred justice, particularly for marginalised populations.

During discussions on Social Justice and Paralegalism, Programme Officer Joy Nasike highlighted the critical role of community paralegals in bridging the gap between communities and formal legal systems through legal awareness, rights education, and support in resolving disputes. She noted that through its legal empowerment approach, Kituo equips paralegals and communities with knowledge and skills to better understand their rights, navigate justice systems, and advocate for solutions that respond to their realities.

“Community paralegals are the bridge between the law and the people. By equipping communities with legal knowledge and support, we empower them to know the law, use the law, and shape the law; enabling individuals to understand their rights, seek remedies, participate in justice processes, and resolve disputes before they escalate,” Joy Nasike, Programme Officer, Kituo Cha Sheria.

For Kituo, community paralegalism remains a key pillar of legal empowerment, enabling communities to participate actively in justice processes and advocate for solutions that reflect their realities.

Harnessing Technology to strengthen AJS

As justice systems continue to evolve, technology presents new opportunities to improve access, documentation, coordination, and knowledge sharing. However, innovation must remain grounded in the needs of communities and complement existing justice mechanisms.

During discussions on Technology in Alternative Justice Systems, Jimmy Sayi explored how digital tools can strengthen justice delivery through improved case management, documentation, information sharing, and wider public engagement.

“Technology should not replace community-based justice; it should strengthen it. Digital tools can improve documentation, case management, knowledge sharing, and public engagement, making justice systems more accessible and responsive to the needs of the people they serve,” Jimmy Sayi, Programme Officer, Kituo Cha Sheria.

Strengthening Alternative Justice Systems requires a combination of evidence, community knowledge, innovation, and collaboration. While measuring cases resolved remains important, the true impact of justice is also reflected in restored relationships, empowered communities, and solutions that prevent future conflicts.

The future of justice requires systems that do not only respond when disputes arise but also understand the conditions that create justice gaps and develop approaches that address them. AJS provides an opportunity to build justice pathways that are accessible, inclusive, and connected to the realities of communities.

By Rony Alal
Communications Officer, Kituo Cha Sheria

Each year, World Refugee Day gives us an opportunity to reflect on the lives behind one of the most urgent human rights issues of our time. It is a moment to consider the plight of people forced to flee conflict and persecution, the responsibility of host countries, institutions, and communities to ensure that protection is matched by dignity.

For decades, and in the African spirit of “Ubuntu” Kenya has opened its borders to people escaping war, political instability, and humanitarian crises across the region and globally. This history of hospitality is one we should take seriously. It reflects a long-standing commitment to shared humanity and regional solidarity. But it also places before us a difficult question: what does meaningful protection look like when displacement is no longer temporary, but prolonged and, in many cases, intergenerational?

This year’s World Refugee Day theme, “Until everyone is safe,” requires us to confront that question honestly. Safety cannot be understood narrowly as physical escape from danger. Safety also means access to rights, services, to opportunity, and to the legal recognition necessary to live with dignity. A refugee who is protected from immediate harm but denied the ability to work, move freely, access documentation, or build a stable future remains in a state of insecurity.

That is the lived reality for many refugees in Kenya today.

Traditional durable solutions are shrinking by the day. Resettlement opportunities remain limited. Voluntary repatriation is equally untenable for many because conditions in countries of origin are still not conducive for safe, dignified, and sustainable return. Where conflict, political instability, and insecurity persist, return cannot be treated as an immediate or realistic answer.

This leaves many refugees in a prolonged state of waiting-waiting for their countries of origin to become stable, waiting for resettlement opportunities, or waiting to be integrated into their host countries. Yet none of these options seem to be certain.

At the same time, the humanitarian response is changing. Under differentiated assistance models, food and basic support are increasingly being targeted at the most vulnerable. That may reflect funding pressures and operational realities, but it also raises an urgent policy question: what happens to the many refugees who will receive reduced assistance or no basic assistance at all, yet administrative barriers to self-reliance still persist? If support is shrinking, then the legal and administrative barriers to self-reliance must also be reduced.

This means recognising that people who are expected to meet more of their own needs must also be given a fair opportunity to do so. A system that reduces assistance while maintaining barriers to livelihoods only deepens hardship and is likely to lead to compounded humanitarian crises.

Kenya has already begun important conversations on refugee inclusion, and those efforts should continue with greater urgency. The longer displacement lasts, the less sense it makes to rely on frameworks designed for short-term emergencies. Refugees are already part of Kenya’s social and economic fabric. They contribute to local economies, support households, and participate in community life in ways that are too often ignored in public debate.

When refugees are denied pathways to self-reliance, the result is dependency, frustration, and lost human potential. By contrast, when people have the legal space to work, study, move, and organise their lives, they are better able to contribute meaningfully to the communities around them. Kenya has already taken important steps in this direction. Its legal and policy framework has continued to evolve, and there is growing recognition that refugee protection must include social and economic inclusion. That shift is important. But progress on paper must translate into progress in daily life. Rights must be felt in refugee camps, in urban settlements, in schools, in places of work, in public offices, and in every other space where refugees interact with the State and society.

Legal recognition means little if a person cannot enforce their rights, challenge unlawful treatment, or navigate the systems that govern their daily life. Any serious conversation about reform must place refugee voices at the centre. Refugee-Led Organizations bring knowledge that no outside actor can replicate. They understand the barriers because they live them. They understand what works because they have had to navigate systems that were not built with them in mind. Policy design, legal reform, and implementation efforts will be stronger, more legitimate, and more effective when refugees are recognised as leaders in shaping the solutions that affect their lives.

World Refugee Day should therefore be a point of accountability that pushes all of us, government, civil society, development actors, and the public to ask whether our laws, institutions, and attitudes reflect the reality of prolonged displacement and the demands of human dignity.

For Kenya, the challenge is to ensure that protection is meaningful. A system that keeps people safe from immediate harm but trapped in indefinite uncertainty cannot be the endpoint of our response. Refugees need safety. But they also need recognition, opportunity, and a fair chance to build a life.

That is the work ahead. On this World Refugee Day, we recommit ourselves and say: until everyone is safe, our obligation is to shelter, to uphold dignity, expand inclusion, and ensure access to justice.

When a dispute is resolved through dialogue instead of litigation, when divided families find common ground, or when communities choose reconciliation over conflict, what does justice truly look like? Can justice be measured by the number of cases concluded, or should it be seen in stronger families, peaceful communities, and restored relationships? Is justice simply about reaching a legal decision, or is it about restoring relationships, rebuilding trust, and enabling communities to live together in peace?

These thought-provoking questions and the pursuit of Data-Driven Pathways for People-Centred Justice in Kenya, the theme of the conference, set the tone for the 4th National Alternative Justice Systems (AJS) Conference, held from 16–19 June 2026 at Embu University. The four-day conference brought together an unprecedented gathering of justice leaders, including judges, magistrates, policymakers, researchers, community justice practitioners, civil society organisations, county governments, traditional dispute resolution practitioners, academia, and development partners from across Africa. Together, they explored how justice systems can become more responsive to the needs of the people they serve by placing communities, dignity, and lasting solutions at the centre of justice delivery.

“Traditionally, justice systems have relied on indicators such as case filings, case clearance rates, backlog reduction, and the speed of case resolution. These measures remain important… However, they do not always capture the full experience of justice from the perspective of the people we serve.” Hon. Justice Martha Koome, Chief Justice of the Republic of Kenya and President of the Supreme Court of Kenya

For Kituo Cha Sheria, the conference was a valuable platform to contribute to the growing national and continental conversation on people-centred justice. Throughout the event, the organisation engaged with justice sector actors, exchanged experiences, and strengthened its commitment to ensuring that justice is not only accessible but also meaningful, inclusive, and transformative for the communities it serves.

A key highlight of Kituo Cha Sheria’s participation was its exhibition booth, which attracted delegates from across the justice sector eager to learn about the organisation’s work in advancing Alternative Justice Systems and legal empowerment. The booth showcased Kituo’s decades of experience in promoting community-led justice through legal aid, community paralegal programmes, mediation, legal empowerment initiatives, and advocacy for Alternative Justice Systems. Through publications, resource materials, and interactions with delegates, Kituo demonstrated how empowering communities to understand, use, and shape the law contributes to peaceful dispute resolution, stronger institutions, and improved access to justice. The exhibition also created opportunities to build new partnerships, share best practices, and highlight the important role civil society continues to play in advancing people-centred justice in Kenya.

Throughout the conference, discussions challenged participants to rethink how justice is measured. While court performance has traditionally been assessed through indicators such as cases filed, concluded, and clearance rates, participants argued that these measures tell only part of the story. Equally important are outcomes that are often less visible but far more meaningful, whether relationships have been restored, communities have reconciled, rights have been protected, and future conflicts prevented.

“We must move from counting cases to measuring justice, from throughput to outcomes, from efficiency to human flourishing. That is the future.” Hon. Justice (Prof) Joel Ngugi, Chair, NaSCI-AJS.

These conversations strongly resonated with Kituo’s work across Kenya. For over five decades, the organisation has supported vulnerable and marginalised communities through legal aid, community legal empowerment, public interest litigation, and the promotion of Alternative Justice Systems. Its experience has consistently demonstrated that sustainable justice extends beyond legal outcomes to include dignity, participation, accountability, and social cohesion.

The conference also reinforced the growing recognition of Alternative Justice Systems as an essential pillar of Kenya’s justice architecture. As implementation of Article 159 of the Constitution continues to deepen, stakeholders emphasised the importance of strengthening community-based justice mechanisms while generating evidence that demonstrates their impact on people’s lives.

“AJS are not just an alternative for the vast majority of Kenyans. They are the primary choice.” H.E. Patrick Ole Ntutu, Governor of Narok County

The culmination of the conference marked another significant milestone for the AJS movement in Africa. The event was attended by 16 Chief Justices from across the continent, highlighting the growing continental commitment to people-centred justice and the exchange of innovative approaches to expanding access to justice. The conference also witnessed the official launch of the Embu Alternative Justice Systems Suite, a landmark initiative that strengthens institutional support for community-based dispute resolution and further embeds Alternative Justice Systems within Kenya’s justice sector.

The conference concluded with a clear message: the future of justice lies not only in resolving disputes but also in creating stronger communities, restoring dignity, and ensuring that justice responds to the realities and needs of the people it serves.

“What if success is measured not only by the number of disputes resolved, but also by the number of relationships restored? What if justice is measured not just through efficiency, but also through reconciliation, trust, social cohesion, and human dignity?” Hon. Justice Martha Koome, Chief Justice of the Republic of Kenya and President of the Supreme Court of Kenya

As Kenya continues to shape a more inclusive and responsive justice system, Kituo Cha Sheria remains dedicated to advancing people-centred justice by supporting community-driven solutions, strengthening Alternative Justice Systems, and expanding legal empowerment initiatives. Through collaboration with communities, the Judiciary, and other justice sector actors, Kituo continues to champion a justice system where every person can understand, access, and participate in processes that protect their rights and uphold dignity.

By Rony Alal, Communications Officer, Kituo Cha Sheria

The struggle to protect and expand civic space is increasingly becoming a struggle over evidence. As governments, civil society, and communities navigate shrinking civic freedoms, research is no longer simply a tool for documenting challenges; it is an essential foundation for advancing people-centred justice. By generating credible evidence, amplifying lived experiences, and informing public policy, research helps ensure that justice systems respond to people’s realities rather than abstract assumptions.

This perspective shaped discussions during the “Reimagine Research: Powering Civic Practice and Infrastructure” panel at the inaugural Ottawa Civic Space Summit 2026, held from 21 – 23 April 2026 in Ottawa, Canada, where Kituo Cha Sheria Executive Director Dr. Wambua Kituku joined global experts in examining the role of research in protecting and expanding civic space.

Research enables civil society to identify emerging threats, understand how restrictions affect different groups, and develop practical, evidence-based responses. Whether addressing restrictive laws, digital surveillance, or the silencing of civic voices, credible research strengthens advocacy, informs policy reforms, and promotes accountability. In this way, it becomes an essential pillar for safeguarding civic space and strengthening democratic participation.

“Research is most powerful when it begins with people. At Kituo Cha Sheria, we see research as more than generating evidence, it is about understanding the justice needs of communities and using that evidence to shape policy, strengthen advocacy, and build justice systems that are responsive, inclusive, and accountable. When research reflects lived experiences, it becomes a catalyst for protecting civic space and advancing people-centred justice.”  Dr. Wambua Kituku, Executive Director, Kituo Cha Sheria

Research is not simply about generating knowledge, it is about ensuring that the voices, experiences, and justice needs of communities shape the decisions that affect their lives. By producing credible, community-driven evidence, research bridges the gap between people and institutions, ensuring that advocacy is rooted in lived realities and that laws and policies respond to the challenges communities face. In this way, research becomes a catalyst for legal empowerment, equipping people to know the law, use the law, and shape the law. It strengthens civic participation, enables communities to influence reforms that protect rights and expand civic freedoms, and contributes to building more responsive and accountable justice systems.

“Research only becomes meaningful when it empowers people. The evidence we generate must amplify community voices, inform reforms, and strengthen justice systems that are responsive to the people they serve.” Dr. Wambua Kituku, Executive Director, Kituo Cha Sheria

At Kituo Cha Sheria, research is integral to advancing people-centred justice in Kenya and beyond. It informs legal aid, community legal education, strategic litigation, and policy advocacy, ensuring that community experiences drive legal and policy reforms. From labour migration and forced displacement to alternative justice systems, land and housing rights, and access to justice, research provides the evidence that strengthens advocacy, amplifies community voices, and advances legal empowerment by enabling people to know the law, use the law, and shape the law. In doing so, it helps create a more open civic space where justice is informed by the realities and aspirations of the people it serves.

As civic space continues to evolve, the need for research that is collaborative, community-driven, and action-oriented has never been greater. Beyond informing policy and advocacy, such research strengthens public trust, deepens democratic participation, and ensures that justice systems remain responsive to the people they serve. By placing communities at the centre of knowledge production, research becomes a powerful force for protecting civic space and advancing people-centred justice in Kenya and beyond.

By Rony Alal
Communications Officer, Kituo Cha Sheria

The High Court of Kenya has dismissed a petition filed by Kituo Cha Sheria on behalf of survivors and families affected by the August 7, 1998 terrorist bombing of the United States Embassy in Nairobi, ruling that the case lacked sufficient legal merit.

The attack remains one of Kenya’s deadliest terror incidents, killing over 200 people both Kenyans and foreigners and injuring more than 4,000 others. Many survivors sustained life-altering injuries, including blindness, deafness, and severe bone and muscle damage.

The petition, filed in 2021 under case number HCCHRPET/E166/2021, sought compensation from the Government of Kenya. Kituo Cha Sheria moved to court more than two decades after the attack after survivors and affected families, citing lack of legal knowledge and representation at the time, approached the organization for legal assistance.

The matter was heard before Hon. Justice Lawrence Mugambi. Judgment, initially scheduled for November 7, 2025 and later postponed to January 15, 2026, was delivered on January 28, 2026.

In their submissions, the petitioners sought not only compensation but also recognition of their suffering and accountability from the state. They argued that the government failed in its constitutional duty to protect its citizens and that many victims had never received meaningful support despite the immense loss of life, lifelong injuries, and psychological trauma caused by the attack.

In dismissing the petition, the court held that the petitioners failed to demonstrate that the government had prior knowledge or actionable intelligence that could have enabled it to prevent the bombing. Justice Mugambi noted that while the petition relied on several reports, the authors of those documents did not appear in court to testify, rendering the evidence hearsay and legally inadmissible.

“It cannot be established, on the basis of the material placed before this court, that the government was aware of the attack or that it failed to act on any intelligence,” the judge ruled.

The court further observed that there was no evidence showing that the United States government faulted Kenya for failing to prevent the attack. While acknowledging the gravity of the victims’ suffering, the court emphasized that sympathy could not replace the strict legal requirement for credible and admissible evidence. The burden of proof, Justice Mugambi held, lay with the petitioners a threshold the court found had not been met.

As a result, the petition was dismissed, leaving victims and their families with renewed disappointment and unresolved questions more than 25 years after the tragedy.

Kituo Cha Sheria, through its counsel John Mwariri, expressed disappointment with the ruling and indicated that the organization would pursue the matter before a superior court. Reaffirming its commitment to the survivors and affected families, he said:

“We respect the ruling, but we do not agree with it. Our clients have gone through a lot, and some have even passed away this week after a long struggle. We tabled all the evidence before the court, but we are deeply disappointed. We will pursue this matter in the superior courts.”

For survivors and families who lost loved ones, the ruling went beyond a legal determination, reopening wounds that have remained raw for over 25 years. Some survivors told the court of years of living with disabilities, mounting medical expenses, and lost livelihoods, while families of the deceased said their grief had been compounded by what they view as prolonged neglect by the state.

By; Rony Alal

Kenya’s refugee landscape is at a pivotal moment. With over 860,000 refugees and asylum seekers residing in the country, the need to translate progressive legal frameworks into practical, lived realities has never been more urgent. In quest to find a solution, Kituo cha Sheria convened the “Empowering Refugees: Catalyzing Policy Reform for Refugees’ Right to Work in Kenya” two-day workshop in Naivasha, supported by Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Horn of Africa, where stakeholders unpacked new research conducted by Kituo cha Sheria on promoting refugees’ integration and self-reliance, shared evidence from the field, and charted pathways toward meaningful policy reform.

The workshop highlighted a fundamental contradiction: while Kenya has advanced a more inclusive legal environment anchored in Constitutional guarantees and the Refugees Act, refugees continue to face systemic barriers that prevent them from securing dignified work. The research presented unpacked gaps between law and practice, pointing to contradictions within the Immigration Act, restrictive encampment policies, and delays in documentation, inadequate labour protections, and the absence of clear pathways for skills recognition.

These challenges reflect a national crisis in documentation, with over 200,000 refugees awaiting clearance, their applications stalled. This backlog has denied thousands access to employment, education, and health services, leaving entire families in prolonged uncertainty. The human impact was further illustrated during the workshop through a compelling case study from the International Rescue Committee (IRC), which highlighted the exhausting and often confusing process refugees must navigate to obtain legal identification, KRA PINs, and business registration; all essential prerequisites for formal employment or entrepreneurship.

Similar experiences were echoed by members of the refugee community. According to Deu Kamuzinzi, a refugee and the advocacy lead at Youth Voices Community, the delays in clearing the piling backlog have locked out refugees from contributing to the economy. Lucy Duku, Chairperson of Refugee Women in Nairobi, also emphasized that even highly educated refugee youth remain excluded from professional opportunities due to documentation gaps, noting,

 “Our children were born in this country and have graduated from universities but cannot get jobs as they do not have the necessary documents like KRA PIN.” Lucy Duku, Chairperson of Refugee Women in Nairobi

Deliberations during the workshop highlighted that meaningful integration requires dismantling legislative and administrative barriers that hinder refugees’ right to work. Kituo cha Sheria Chairperson Justus Munyithya reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to engaging government agencies in reviewing and amending legal and policy frameworks that limit refugees’ access to employment, education, and health services. He emphasized,

“As KITUO, we remain committed to ensuring that legal empowerment and policy reform go hand in hand. Refugees do not just need humanitarian assistance; they need a legal and structural environment that allows them to rebuild their lives with autonomy and confidence.” Mr. Justus Munyithya, Board Chair, Kituo Cha Sheria

According to Dorothy Omboto, lawyer and lead consultant researcher of the launched report, there is a pressing need to abolish work permit requirements for refugees and to recognise refugee IDs as legitimate documentation for employment and business registration, an essential step toward alleviating the systemic frustrations refugees face. She noted that existing laws limit refugee integration and access to decent work due to the cumbersome process of obtaining work permits.

There is a pressing need to align Kenya’s progressive legal commitments with efficient, accessible systems that genuinely uphold refugees’ right to work. Moving forward requires coordinated reforms, institutional efficiency, and a renewed commitment to refugee self-reliance. Unlocking work rights is not just a legal necessity; it is an economic, social, and humanitarian imperative. When refugees are able to work, they support their families, contribute to national development, and strengthen the social fabric of Kenya. Advancing policy reform in a way that is not only enacted but also experienced and felt by refugees is a critical step toward ensuring dignity, opportunity, and meaningful inclusion for all.

By; Rony Alal