Turkana government plans to carry
out a free legal sensitisation to help communities resolve conflicts.
County Secretary Ruth Emanikor
wants residents to continuously learn about the law to strengthen their
understanding.
Emanikor spoke during the legal awareness
week held in Lodwar which, was jointly organised by the Judiciary and the Law
Society of Kenya.
She said the cross-cutting nature
of law requires residents to acquire general knowledge of how legal principles
influence everyday life.
“The law applies to land matters,
child custody and maintenance, property management, inheritance, marital
relationships and all aspects of life,” Emanikor said.
She said the awareness creation
exercise seeks to sensitise all residents but every individual has an obligation
to continuously seek more information on issues affecting them.
Emanikor said the initiative is a
major step towards community empowerment.
Residents who benefited from the
initiative were asked to share knowledge gained with friends and relatives.
“Most disputes in Turkana, especially those
involving land and child custody arise from ignorance of the law. We want our
people to get the right legal information from credible sources such as
lawyers, judicial officers and the county attorney’s office,” she said.
During the sensitization, residents
had one on one consultations with lawyers on pressing matters.
Judiciary officer Fredrick
Kipkosgei, attached to the
Lodwar law courts officer Fredrick
Kipkosgei said lack of legal awareness undermines realisation of Article 59 of
the constitution, which provides for the right of access to justice.
“Sensitising the public on the
provisions of the law is a shared duty that helps bridge the awareness gap and
promote access to justice,” he said.
The Law Society of Kenya Turkana
chapter chairperson Daniel Ondabu also welcomed the initiative, saying legal
sensitisation could reduce unnecessary backlogs by encouraging alternative
dispute resolution.
“When communities are empowered
with legal knowledge, they can resolve issues at an early stage. As local
practitioners, we remain open to offer mentorship and guidance to ensure people
take the right course of action in legal matters,” he said.
Residents who attended the sessions
appreciated the initiative. Wilson Lokoel, a resident of Kanamkemer, said the
sensitization equipped him with knowledge to navigate land disputes and
understand the legal process.
