KITUO CHA SHERIA BLOG

1. Kituo Cha Sheria awarded by Law Society of Kenya

Kituo Cha Sheria was honoured a “Distinguished Service Award” by the Law Society of Kenya during its 21st Annual Conference held on August 2014. The award was a recognition of Kituo’s continued effort in ensuring “Access to Justice for all”. After receiving the award, Kituo cha Sheria Executive Director Gertrude Angote updated on her Facebook page, “A “Distinguished Service Award” Is indeed befitting and humbling. Thank you all Kenyans for promoting the dream towards “access to justice for all”.

2. Australia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) to produce a documentary on Kituo’s paralegal work

Australia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) TV in partnership with Kituo cha Sheria are producing a documentary on kituo’s paralegal work in prisons and in communities. Sally Jane SARA and Craig Philip BERKMAN from ABC were at Kituo’s head office where they interviewed, AGCP Program Coordinator, Aimee Ongeso and paralegals from kituo’s justice centers as well as in prisons where Kituo has established Justice centres and paralegals over the years.

3. Nairobi University Institute of Diplomacy and international studies students trained Refugee Law

Kituo Forced migration Program conducted a week long training on refugee law at Nairobi University, Institute of Diplomacy and international studies from 4-9^th August 2014. The participants who had successfully completed the training on Refugee Law Program were awarded certificates. The training was a partnership between Kituo cha sheria-Forced Migration Program, UNHCR and Nairobi University,Institute of Diplomacy and international studies. The partners are planning to extend the training to other universities nationally.

4. Kituo cha Sheria kicks off forums on Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in informal settlements in Nairobi.

Advocacy, Governance and Community Partnership programme (AGCP) has started forums on SGBV in Kibera and other informal settlements. The forums are aimed at empowering people living in informal settlements on gender based violence as well as coming up with way forward on how to deal with SGBV that is mainly rife in informal settlements. The areas of focus are those that were highly affected during the 2007/8 post-election violence. The group is also taking statements that will help them to form the basis of their petition or way forward in advancing their course.

5. Kituo pays tribute to Odindo Opiata

Kituo was honoured to pay tribute our good friend and colleague, Odindo Opiata. He was a well-respected and well known Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and passionate about Social Economic and Cultural rights. He was passionate about his fellow man and devoted his life to the serving others especially the poor and marginalized. He was associated with KITUO since 1999 where he served with various eminent human rights defender.

6. Kituo under project Kenya Tuna Uwezo conducts a series of training on land and devolution in Nairobi’s informal settlements

The ongoing trainings on land and devolution in various informal settlements such as Kibera, korogocho, Kamukunji, Majengo, Mukuru kwa Njenga, Dandora and Eastleigh have ignited fresh knowledge on land and devolution among the trainnes. In places where the training had already been conducted such as Eatleigh, Kibera and Korogocho, residents have come up with cases involving land which they want Kituo to do a follow up as they already know their role or in safeguarding either public or private public properties. Marcelino Waithaka of Kituo who has been a major trainer says that, “the training has already born fruits as residents are now more alert on their rights as they have presented to Kituo interests on cases of land grabbing and succession that Kituo has to assist them”.

7. Kituo and its partners Celebrates the International Day of Peace

On 20^th September, Kituo joined the world in celebrating the international day of peace at Eastleigh high School. From the speakers, dancers, singers and actors, the message was clear that; we all want peace. It was an important occasion where people from all walks of life gathered to observe the international day of peace as it was the case in other parts of the world. There were intriguing performances from dancers, rappers, actors and a football session where the message they were portraying is that we want peace and co-existence not only in Kenya but in the whole world. Indeed, we all have the right to peace.