To celebrate ten years since starting operations, Amnesty International Kenya will be hosting free legal clinics for the general public across the country.
In partnership with the Law Society of Kenya and the Paralegal Society of Kenya, Amnesty will be in Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa, Kisumu, Siaya, Nairobi, Garissa, Bungoma and Eldoret.
In a press briefing at the Jamia Mosque in Nairobi on Thursday, Mwaura Kabata, Chair of the Public Interest Litigation and Human Rights Committee, said the clinics would be held on October 10, Huduma Day.
“We will be at Kaptembwa Chief’s Office in Nakuru, Soweto Grounds M’bungoni-Kadzandani in Mombasa, Nyando Social Justice Center in Kisumu, Awelo Chief’s Camp in Siaya, Malindi Town, Garissa Police Station and Kenya Redcross Grounds Kanduyi in Bungoma,” he said.
In Nairobi, Kabata said, the clinic will be held on October 12 in Kibera Constituency and along Agha Khan Walk at 10:30am.
Mary Airo, National Coordinator of the Paralegal Society of Kenya, said many Kenyans lack legal knowledge to navigate the justice system thus, their access to justice is limited.
“We hope to legally empower over 1000 clients to understand what to do for example, in case of an arrest or the institutions to engage like the County or National Government in case you need something addressed,” she said.
She said they are targeting rural areas where most people lack access to lawyers who usually operate in big towns.
"We hope to give them, apart from legal aid and the power to represent themselves, legal sensitisation across the entire community,” she said.
Irungu Houghton, Executive Director of Amnesty, said it was important to empower Kenyans legally because access to justice is a human right.
According to the Economic Survey of 2022, less than five per cent of Kenyans report crimes.
Irungu said one in two Kenyans interviewed in the Katiba at 10 Opinion Survey, did not believe in Equality or Justice.
There was a strong belief among the interviewees that justice was for the wealthy.
“Access to justice is also a major focus for Her Ladyship Chief Justice Martha Koome and the entire Judiciary and fortunately, the Government of President William Ruto,” he said.
He said 75 per cent of the people in our remand centers are under the age of 35 and many of them will stay incarcerated for two to four years before their cases are concluded.
“Many of them are petty offenders like illicit brewers, commercial sex workers and hawkers. What they lack is not innocence but representation,” he said.
While Small Claims Courts handle a number of these offences, they said they hope to help contribute to access to justice.
“We hope Kenyans can come out in large numbers to learn about the law. We have also invited the President of the Supreme Court, the Governor, the DPP and various social justice groups to the Nairobi clinic as well,” he concluded.
