KITUO CHA SHERIA BLOG

Success Story from the Nyando Community Justice Centre

Article 48 of the Constitution of Kenya specifically advocates for access to justice for all. Kituo Cha Sheria has established Community Justice Centres that are managed and run by trained community paralegals to assist members of the community at the grassroots level across the country agitate for their human rights and resolve disputes without resorting to the court process.

The community paralegals offer free legal advice to the members of the public, educate them on various aspects of law and guide them on how to participate in governance and empower the entire community. Kituo has played a big role in supervising the community justice centres and providing technical assistance in legal matters that need the attention of an advocate. To date, Kituo has established Community Justice Centres in Kamukunji, Kibera, Korogocho (all in Nairobi), Kitui, Turkana, Nyando (Kisumu), Kisauni (Mombasa), Lamukani ( Kwale) and Marereni (Kilifi). The Community Justice Centers have significantly contributed to the goal of promoting access to justice for the poor and marginalized people in society and at the same time made justice accessible to those who could not afford the services of an advocate.

This is a Success Story from the Nyando Community Justice Centre in Kisumu…

Shadrack Ayange Ogendo a resident of Kisumu North Location in Kisumu County has a reason to smile once again after the Kisumu High Court ordered for the issuance of the title deed of the 3.2 hectares of land that her step mother had acquired illegally.

Mr. Ogendo who comes from a polygamous family of four wives filed a complaint against his step mother Sarah Omolo Ogendo the first wife to his deceased father Samson Ogendo Ayange for transferring the entire 3.2 hectares land belonging to the family under her name without consulting other family members.

After a series of efforts without any tangible outcomes in pursuit of justice, Mr. Ogendo approached Kituo cha Sheria’s Nyando Community Justice Center where the community paralegals attended to him, screened and referred him to a Kituo Volunteer Advocate (VA) in Kisumu. The advocate advised him on the next legal action. VA Erick Otieno, assisted Mr. Ogendo in filing the matter in 2015. He then represented our client in all the Court proceedings until the conclusion of the matter in 2018.  The matter that was at Kisumu High Court before Justice Manjanja was ruled in our clients’ favor. The court gave an order to the lands office to remove the restriction that was put in the land Kisumu/Bar/633 by his stepmother and that the said land title deed under the step mother’s name be revoked. The judge also granted the family members the permission to engage the lands surveyors to spearhead the process of partitioning of the land equally to each of the four wives and another portion for Mr. Ogendo as the eldest son and each of them issued with the title deeds for their respective portions.

RCKM

Kituo Cha Sheria