Categories
Legal Empowerment Network

A Shrinking Democratic Space and Human Rights Violations in Kenya.

By Waringa Wahome, Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and coordinator of the Legal Empowerment Hub, Mathare Social Justice Centre.

In his inaugural lecture at Kabarak University, Prof. Justice Willy Mutunga, while reflecting on the 2010 constitution-making process, noted that one of the core issues was “whether the Kenyan elite could implement a progressive, social and democratic constitution, raising sharply the issue of the development of alternative political leadership.”

The democratic and civic space in Kenya is shrinking fast. We are witnessing a growing disregard for the rule of law and democracy in utter violation of the constitution of Kenya 2010. The criminal justice system, long critiqued for its intimidation and discrimination based on social and economic status, is now being weaponized to undermine political rights; specifically, the cornerstone of the people’s agency: their sovereignty.

Following the commemoration of the saba saba protest (7/7), which came as a continued pressure for the justice of Albert Ojwang who was killed whilst under police custody, and as a continuing demand to an end to abductions and police killings, the people of Kenya came out to defend their dignity and defend the life of one of their own who was killed for speaking out against political impunity. Kenyans witnessed a retrogressive and unconstitutional reaction by the state in the form of excessive use of force by police, murder of civilians and unlawful arrests and detention. On 17th June 2025, KNCHR recorded 22 casualties, including Boniface Kariuki who was shot at close range while selling masks during the Genz commemoration of June 25th protests, demanding justice for all those killed. On 8th July 2025, KNCHR reported 31 deaths, 107 injuries, 532 arrests and 2 enforced disappearances. Many more deaths and enforced disappearances remain unrecorded officially. In Nanyuki, the death of Julia Njoki has shocked and enraged the nation, she was assaulted and killed in police custody, just like Albert Ojwang.

As an advocate of the High Court, I have found myself confronting not only the law but also its abuse; in courtrooms, in police stations, and in the silences of state institutions. I share here my reflections from three cases that have deeply marked me, not only for what they demanded legally, but for what they revealed about power, systemic fear and brutality, and our urgent need to build an alternative political leadership that can foster the goodwill required for the judiciary to interpret the law in a way that upholds dignity and human rights.

On 2nd July 2025, under instructions from the Mathare Social Justice Centre and in collaboration with former detainee and advocate John Khaminwa, and other advocates instructed by the Law Society of Kenya, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, Amnesty International, and other human rights organizations, we represented three HRDs in MISC Application no E 535 OF 2025: Mark Amiani (Generali), John Mulingwa (Garang), and Mutunge Mwangi. They were abducted — not arrested — by the DCI. Five vehicles were used to follow and pick up each one of them. They were taken to Muthaiga Police Station under OB no 5/28/06/2025, and from there began a cruel game of ping-pong.

The three human rights defenders were unlawfully detained and held incommunicado; denied the right to bail and the right to speak to counsel, all rights of an arrested person which are protected by the Constitution of Kenya. The magistrate, in a further violation, took two days just to deliver a ruling that confirmed the police had no valid reason to deny them bail. Yet, she granted them an outrageous Ksh 200,000 bail per person and ordered them to report to the police station twice a week. For what? A three-minute check-in? It was torture masked as due process.

Then there was the case of Davis Tafari, a human rights defender and creative director with the Social Justice Travelling Theatre. His art is resistance. Through theatre, they tell stories of dignity, justice, and people’s struggles. Davis was arrested while following up on the release of young community members. Instead of assisting him, the DCI unlawfully detained him without informing him of the reasons for his arrest. He was coerced into writing a statement, then later accused of facilitating incitement, assault, and robbery with violence during protests.

The DCI unlawfully confiscated his phone and sowed fear among others, particularly those in WhatsApp groups — which suddenly became unsafe spaces. This wasn’t law enforcement. It was surveillance and intimidation. The goal was to silence Davis and isolate movement spaces from one another.

During the protests, people were busy in police stations and courts — and all the arrests made were unlawful. The judiciary is constitutionally mandated to interpret the law holistically. On the question of national security, Article 238 mandates the national security organs, including the DCI, to promote security in a manner that respects and upholds the rule of law, human rights, and democracy. The people being brought to court were young, unemployed, hungry. For the judiciary to sanction prolonged detention for such individuals is outright discrimination — a biased distortion of constitutional values.

Again, we are faced with that same core question: “Whether the Kenyan elite can implement a progressive, social and democratic constitution – raising sharply, the issue of the development of alternative political leadership.”

After the Saba Saba protests, we woke up to the news that our comrades had been arrested, Anthony Mwoki and a member of the Ecological Justice Network. They were detained at Huruma Police Station, although officially their custody was said to be under Pangani. Once again, the ping-pong game ensued. Advocates were left circling invisible authorities. The aim was clear: to keep them in custody without cause, delay access, and wear down resistance.

Eventually, a total of One Hundred and Twenty-Five Respondents (125), including our two comrades, were presented before the Makadara Law Courts under MISC Application No. E 1143 of 2025. The police requested fourteen more days to “investigate” charges of robbery with violence, assault, and destruction of property, all charges meant to intimidate and criminalize protest. The magistrate gave them two days. But even after the two-day window passed, they were not released. We had to reapply for bail. We pleaded for a personal bond, especially since it was clear these were young, unemployed people struggling for survival.

Yet, the magistrate issued a Ksh 5,000 cash bail and weekly reporting conditions. One of the young people called me, hurried and uncertain, and asked: “Imesemekana ni hiyo elfu tano ama?” he was asking, how long would one have to stay in remand if I can’t raise the five thousand?

You see, all judicial authority is derived from the people and vested in the judiciary. The courts, therefore, must interpret the law in ways that defend the people’s struggles and uphold the supremacy of the Constitution.

These cases speak to a deeper national crisis. The rule of law is being hollowed out. Democracy is being reduced to elections. The economy is collapsing. People are demanding food, jobs, land, and freedom. They are invoking the Constitution to make these demands; yet the very institutions that ought to protect them are turning against them. The judiciary should not attempt to reconcile irreconcilable questions. It must defend the people’s right to demand dignity. It must defend the rule of law.

One cannot ignore the urgent need for a justice system that serves the people. The routine violations by the police, the indifference from the judiciary and the disconnect from the legislature builds the need for collective insistence for:

  1. An end to judicial harassment
  2. An end to illegal detentions
  3. An end to malicious prosecution
  4. An end to police killings.
  5. For a public inquiry, in a national or international form, be conducted and those charged with the murder of civilians in a demand for dignity, be prosecuted and sentenced accordingly.

In conclusion, a new consciousness is rising. People are beginning to define what dignity looks like. They are tasting the power of their sovereignty. The critical questions of the economy are becoming sharper and clearer. Politics is shifting. What remains unclear is the shape of the alternative.

So what is this alternative political leadership that will guide us toward a socially just nation?

We must root ourselves in the growing consciousness that we deserve dignity. That we have the right to demand it. That our demands are constitutional — especially the demand for social justice and the implementation of Article 43. People must meet in assemblies, in their localities, to ask: What does alternative political leadership look like here? They must formulate their demands, organize around them, and follow them through.

I posit: that is how we begin building people- centred political leadership and using law as a tool for justice for all. 

Categories
Dhobi Women Network

Report on the Toolkit Skills and Innovation Initiative at Mathare. Assessing the Impact on Learners from Student and Tutor Perspectives.

The report is prepared by

Vincent Mahugu

Executive Summary.

The Toolkit Skills and Innovation Initiative, in partnership with Mathare Social Justice Centre, has been training teenage girls and mothers for one month since June 2025. This program is aimed at equipping vulnerable youth with vocational skills in both conventional and virtual reality (VR) welding and other digital skills. Delivered through one-on-one training, the initiative has engaged learners in a personalized learning environment, with students reporting positive progress and tutors noting strong commitment. Students appreciate the variety of training methods (virtual reality and hands-on), tutor rotation, and the commitment and strong administrative support from MSJC, which has so far ensured the smooth implementation of the program. However, challenges include limited workshop access, equipment transport difficulties, lack of workshop gear, low-tech savviness , inconsistent attendance, and poor time management.

Introduction.

The Toolkit Skills and Innovation Initiative, a social enterprise founded in 2014, seeks to address youth unemployment in Mathare by providing market-driven skills training, certification, and employment linkages. Operating for one month in Mathare as of June 2025, the program employs one-on-one training to deliver skills in welding, digital skills, and renewable energy, leveraging innovative tools like virtual reality (VR). This report evaluates the initiative’s impact on learners, focusing on student and tutor perspectives. Data is drawn exclusively from feedback from beneficiaries of the program, cross-verified for accuracy, to ensure a precise assessment of the program’s one-month implementation.

Methodology.

This report is based on qualitative feedback from Mathare learners and tutors, reflecting the program’s one-month duration as of June 2025. The analysis prioritizes student and tutor experiences, focusing on the one-on-one training format, and excludes external examples or data not provided. Feedback was collected through direct interactions, ensuring alignment with the learners’ emphasis on lived experiences. Limitations include the lack of quantitative data on participant numbers specific to Mathare, which restricts the scope to qualitative insights.

Impact on Learners.

Student Perspectives.

Over its one-month implementation, the Toolkit Initiative has positively impacted Mathare learners through one-on-one training in welding and digital skills. Key student feedback includes;

  • Training Preferences: Learners value the personalized one-on-one training, which allows tailored instruction in VR-based and hands-on methods. Some prefer VR for its engaging approach, while others favour hands-on tasks for their practical application, reporting overall progress as “so far so good.”
  • Tutor Rotation: Students appreciate the regular rotation of tutors, noting that it provides diverse perspectives and enhances their learning experience through varied instructional approaches.
  • Program Appreciation: Learners express gratitude to MSJC for organizing the initiative, which has provided rare access to vocational training. They hope the program continues to benefit future cohorts.
  • Challenges: Students face several barriers. The workshop’s distance from classrooms requires frequent transport of heavy equipment, reducing training time. Many learners, not being tech-savvy, struggle with VR technology but note gradual improvement. Additionally, the lack of workshop gear (e.g., protective clothing or tools) hinders safety and efficiency.

Tutor Perspectives.

Tutors provide critical insights into the program’s implementation, highlighting the effectiveness of one-on-one training while identifying areas for improvement:

  • Student Commitment: Tutors commend learners for their strong commitment, noting that the one-on-one format fosters engagement and allows personalized skill development, aligning with the program’s goal of preparing youth for industry roles.
  • Attendance and Time Management: Tutors report inconsistent class attendance, likely due to logistical challenges or competing responsibilities in Mathare. They also identify poor time management as a significant concern, warning that it could undermine graduates’ employability in regards to this inefficiency.  
  • Program Effectiveness; Aside from attendance and time management issues, tutors state that the program is “sailing on smoothly,” with one-on-one VR and hands-on training effectively building skills. However, they likely share students’ challenges with workshop access and equipment transport, which impact training delivery.

Discussion.

The Toolkit Initiative’s one-month implementation in Mathare has shown promise in empowering youth through personalized one-on-one training. Students’ appreciation for VR and hands-on methods, tutor rotation, and MSJC’s facilitation underscores the program’s adaptability and community impact. Tutors’ recognition of student commitment highlights the potential for skill acquisition, but inconsistent attendance and poor time management pose risks to employability. Logistical challenges, including workshop access and lack of gear, further limit efficiency, while low tech-savviness requires tailored support. Comparisons with other Kenyan vocational programs suggest that low-tech training options could complement VR to enhance accessibility. Addressing these barriers will align the initiative with Kenya’s Vision 2030 goals for technical skills development.

Conclusion.

The Toolkit Skills and Innovation Initiative has made a promising start in Mathare, leveraging one-on-one training to empower learners with vocational skills over its one-month duration. Students’ enthusiasm for diverse training methods and tutor rotation, coupled with gratitude toward MSJC, highlights the program’s value. Tutors’ praise for student commitment is tempered by concerns over attendance and time management, alongside logistical and resource challenges. Targeted interventions can enhance the initiative’s impact, equipping Mathare’s youth with skills for sustainable livelihoods and contributing to Kenya’s socio-economic development.

Photos

Training and practicals in session

Categories
Ecological Justice Network Legal Empowerment Network

Report on Vigilante Violence and Harassment against Youth: Surveying the Situation in Mathare through Interviews

Prepared by: Mars Mesgrahl

Introduction
Through the work of MSJC’s Ecological Justice Network, many youths have gained increased agency, facilitating a big increase in the formation of community-based organizations(CBOs) amongst youths. The CBOs that we focus on in this report work with community park building, river clean-up, and urban farming as an alternative to unlawful ways of making
a living. Through interviews with community organizers and youth engaged in ecological work, we have mapped out how important this work is for young people. It enables them to make a living, as well as contributing to making Mathare a better place for the larger
community. For the groups we interviewed, the idea of starting urban farming and parks emerged throughout 2024 and became a reality after the flood and subsequent demolitions of April 2024. During this time, youths occupied the riparian land around the Mathare River to start many new farming and park projects with help from MSJC.
However, these efforts of community-building, ecological justice, and financial security for motivated young people have not gone without trouble. The youths have experienced being criminalized and profiled by police, as well as being victims of vigilante harassment.
Through our documentation, we have found that the actions conducted by vigilantes with full knowledge, and in some cases, with the help of local police, include physical violence, intimidation and threats, and destruction of property, primarily through destroying the farm and park areas cultivated by the youth groups.
In this report, we outline the injustices being faced by youth groups trying to do honest work for the betterment of the community and themselves, to amplify their voices and call for justice. In the 23 cases we documented, youths have been faced with ridicule, extortion through bribes, little or no help when the cases are reported to police, or they have not
reported the cases due to fear of being blamed and a lack of trust in the police. We further found that during instances of harassment and violence, the police often acted in tandem with the vigilantes.

In the words of Njeri Mwangi:
“There has been a shift in how the police do their dirty work after the
2010 constitution and the bill of rights. Before, the police would beat
and kill people themselves; now they know they cannot get away with
it so easily, so they often use people/thugs to carry out unlawful acts.”
Njeri Mwangi, MSJC

Vigilante-violence-and-harassment-2-1Download the full report here
Categories
Campaign Against Drugs & Crime

Report on the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking Awareness Event, Mathare, Nairobi.

Date of Event: June 26, 2025

Location: Mathare, Nairobi

Organizing Body: Nairobi Community Work Group

Key Partners: Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC), NACADA, Mathare Deputy County Commissioner’s Office, MPI Kenya, Lions Club of Nairobi Trailblazer, Nairobi Liquor Board, Plan International, World Vision, Oasis of Love, Child Space Kenya, Baraka Health Net, SCAD, Health Facilities and Rehabilitation Centers, Kenya Red Cross Society, Kenya Scouts, Community Health Promoters, Harmony Institute, Mathare Vocational Training Centre, Law Enforcement Agencies, Media Houses, CHRD Kenya, Kenya Girl Guides Association, Stawi Initiative, Reach Foundation, KIOO cha Jamii Initiative, Mathare Aiders, Jitahidi Empowerment Organization, MCADO, Kijiji Yetu, Network for Youth Advocacy, Boy Child Unlimited Empowerment Program and Local Schools.

I.    Executive Summary

On June 26, 2025, the Mathare community successfully hosted a comprehensive awareness event to commemorate the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The initiative, spearheaded by the Nairobi Community Working Group on Drugs and Substance Abuse, which MSJC is part of, focused primarily on sensitizing school-going children and the broader community on the grave dangers of drug abuse and illicit trafficking. The event commenced with a vibrant community march through Mabatini and Mlango Kubwa Wards, culminating in an open baraza at the Mathare Deputy County Commissioner’s grounds. The activities highlighted prevention, treatment, and recovery, reinforcing the community’s united front against substance abuse and its associated crimes.

II.    Background and Rationale

Informal settlements in Nairobi, including Mathare, continue to bear the brunt of drug abuse and illicit trafficking. These issues perpetuate a vicious cycle of poverty, crime, deteriorating health, and social breakdown. Recognizing this complex challenge, the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking provides a critical platform for raising awareness and fostering collective action.

This event was particularly crucial for Mathare’s primary school children, who are among the most vulnerable to the realities of drug abuse and illicit trafficking. By engaging them directly, the initiative aimed to instill early awareness, build resilience, and empower them to resist initiation into drug abuse, aligning with the broader social justice mission of protecting human rights and fostering healthier communities. The event’s theme, “Breaking the Chains: Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery for All!“, underscored the multi-faceted approach required to tackle this menace.

III.    Objectives of the Event

The event aimed to achieve the following objectives:

  1. Raise awareness about the dangers of drug abuse and illicit trafficking in Nairobi Eastlands Informal Settlements.
    1. Promote community-driven prevention strategies to reduce drug initiation among youth and vulnerable populations in Eastlands.
    1. Facilitate access to treatment and rehabilitation services for individuals struggling with substance use disorders.
    1. Encourage recovery and social reintegration through support groups and vocational training.
    1. Mobilize stakeholders, including government, NGOs, health providers, law enforcement, and community leaders, to strengthen the drug response framework in Nairobi Region.

IV.      Event Implementation and Activities

The event unfolded in two main phases: a community awareness march and an open community dialogue (baraza) at the DCC grounds.

  1. Community Awareness March

The day began with a vibrant awareness walk flagged off from the Mathare Deputy County Commissioner’s (DCC) offices.

  • Participants: Hundreds of primary school pupils from various Mathare schools, accompanied by their teachers, community organizers, community leaders, activists, human rights defenders, and parents, formed the core of the procession. Their enthusiastic participation, carrying banners with anti-drug messages, symbolized the community’s united stance.
    • Route: The march proceeded through Mau Mau Road to Mathare 3C, engaging residents along the way with songs, chants, and messages of hope and triumph against drugs.
    • Symbolism: The involvement of school children was highly symbolic, highlighting the community’s commitment to safeguarding its youngest members through education and supportive environments. A Brass Band added to the festive yet serious tone of the march.

B.   Symposium at the DCC grounds.

Upon returning to the DCC grounds, the following key activities took place:

  • Opening Ceremony: Welcome remarks by community leaders and DCC officials set the tone, followed by a keynote address on the event’s theme and the local drug abuse context.

Awareness and Education Sessions:

  • Health professionals delivered simplified presentations tailored for a primary school audience, explaining the science of addiction and the dangers of various substances in an accessible manner.
    • Testimonies from recovered individuals were shared, inspiring hope and demonstrating that recovery is achievable. These stories were presented in a way that resonated with the young audience.
    • Entertainment: Entertainment groups, including local artists and performers, delivered anti-drug messages through music, dance, and a catwalk, making the learning

experience engaging and memorable for the children.

V.      Key Observations and Immediate Impact

  • High Engagement: The children’s active participation in the march, their enthusiastic chants, and their attentiveness during the education sessions were highly notable. This demonstrated a strong receptiveness to the messages.
  • Community Solidarity: The event successfully mobilized a diverse range of community members and stakeholders, fostering a sense of collective responsibility in addressing drug abuse.
  • Increased Awareness: The simplified, direct messages delivered through various mediums (march, speeches, entertainment) are expected to have significantly enhanced community knowledge and awareness, particularly among the primary school children, about the dangers of drugs.
  • Positive Reinforcement: The provision of milk and the focus on children’s welfare

reinforced a positive, caring environment, making the anti-drug message more impactful and less intimidating.

  • Visibility: The march through the wards ensured broad visibility of the campaign, reaching residents who might not have attended the main event.

VI.       Lessons Learned

  • Child-Centric Approach: The success of engaging school children underscores the effectiveness of tailoring messages and activities to specific age groups.
  • Community Ownership: The strong involvement of local leaders and community groups was crucial for the event’s reach and impact.
  • Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration: The diverse range of partners, from government agencies to local CBOs, demonstrated the power of a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach.

VII.        Conclusion

The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking awareness event in Mathare was a resounding success, particularly in its engagement with primary school children. By fostering early awareness, promoting community solidarity, and highlighting pathways to prevention and recovery, the event significantly contributed to the ongoing struggle against drug abuse and illicit trafficking in the informal settlements. The Mathare Social Justice Centre remains committed to working with all stakeholders to break the chains of addiction and build a healthier, safer, and more just community for all its residents.

Prepared by

Laximine Aria, PAR Documenting Officer,

&

Benta Mutheu, Campaign Coordinator

Categories
Ecological Justice Network

From violent demonstrations in Kenya to memorial trees in Roskilde: “We can either fight for a dignified life or die”

This article has been reposted from GLOBALNYT

Editor: Sven Johannes

Writer: Morten Scriver Andersen

Njeri Mwangi is one of the young Kenyans who has had enough of the country’s leader, William Ruto. She believes that Danes should demand development for the money the government donates to the Kenyan government.25-year-old Njeri Mwangi has been an activist since she graduated from high school at the age of 17. Photo: DreamTown

A few days before the Danish youth gathered at this year’s Roskilde Festival to party and listen to music, Kenya’s youth trooped up in the capital, Nairobi, to hold the country’s government accountable.

In Nairobi, 18 people died from police bullets and batons.

25-year-old Njeri Mwangi is one of Kenya’s many disgruntled young people who showed up. Together with other young people, she has organized what should have been a peaceful demonstration. A reminder of the 62 people who died on the same day last year in large demonstrations against a controversial tax reform.

Now she is at Roskilde Festival. On Sunday, she and the Danish NGO Dreamtown planted trees at Dyrskuepladsen in memory of the people who have lost their lives in violent clashes with the police. She has planted such memorial trees in Nairobi for several years.

“But the reason why I think it’s important to do it at Roskilde Festival as well is to connect the struggle that is going on in the Global South to the Global North. So that people with privileges can also acknowledge their privileges and take the time to see what is happening in the rest of the world. I believe that together we can create solidarity and stop violations of human rights and social injustice.”

We have no choice

The struggle Njeri Mwangi talks about is multifaceted. It is about lack of education, jobs, a functioning health system and corruption in Kenya.

That struggle culminated when the country’s president last year tried to introduce a tax reform that would hit the already hard-hit Kenyans at the bottom of society. The country was already hit hard by inflation, rising gasoline and food prices. There was talk of a cost-of-living crisis.

The unrest was already simmering before the anniversary of the violent demonstrations.

On June 9, the teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang was killed in police custody. This sparked demonstrations, and in connection with them, Boniface Kariuki, a 22-year-old street vendor, was also shot in the head at point-blank range by the police. He died on Monday in the hospital.

And you come straight from the demonstrations in Nairobi, where 16 people died. Last year, even more people died. Why are you participating despite the high risk?

“62 people were killed last year,” she quickly corrects, in accordance with international media.

“Because we have no choice. We can either fight for a dignified life or die.

Clashes between police and protesters during the commemoration of the anniversary of the 62 victims of the demonstrations last year. Photo: Gerald Anderson/Anadolu via Getty Images

She grew up in one of Nairobi’s largest low-income areas, Mathare, where about 700,000 people live. Most of them are young because it is not an area where you grow old, but Njeri Mwangi has also lost many fellow citizens to police violence.

For example, her uncle, who, a few years ago, according to Njeri Mwangi, was killed by a policeman because the two were in love with the same woman.

She adds that her brother has just been released on bail after being imprisoned for six days following the latest demonstrations.

“There are so many stories like that. But also about people who have organized resistance and been killed for it. So our job is to make sure that we talk about these issues and let the world know. That is why we participated in the protests. But also because of the terrible Finance Act.”

Greeted by tear gas and bullets

How did you experience the demonstrations?

“I went to the CBD [central business district] early in the morning, and I could sense the state violence right away. Already at eight o’clock, they threw tear gas, fired rubber bullets, and real bullets at people who walked peacefully with a rose to lay them for the comrades we have lost. It’s only been a year since we lost them, and we wanted to honor our heroes and the people who have sacrificed their blood for this fight.”

“Parliament was barricaded, and the roads in were barricaded. We mobilized a lot of people, also online, because the president is unpopular now. There was a lot of rage, and everyone wanted to go out on the streets.”

Njeri Mwangi and festival guests plant trees in memory of Kenyans who have died from police violence. Photo: Dreamtown.

When you are on the street demonstrating, what is the message you want to deliver?

“First of all, the government must stop killing people. They have been doing that for far too long.”

“And my demand now is that the president resigns. We have already formed a transitional government of young people who will monitor the period leading up to an election.”

“Because Ruto is not progressive. He is violating constitutional rights. We have seen him deliberately restrict the civil space. He does not respect the Constitution. I don’t think he’s entitled to be a leader.”

It’s your tax money

The Danish government cooperates with the Kenyan government. What do you think about it?

“Of course, all countries must be able to make partnerships on development to promote progress.”

“But I think you should be critical of where your tax money goes. Why should Ruto be funded if what we are getting are scandals and corruption cases? I also think that citizens should take an active role in questioning where their money is going. If it is Danish money for development, we should make sure that this is what happens.”

So you still think that the Danish government should stop all cooperation with the Kenyan government?

“I believe that the money you have given over the past three years, you should be able to account for what they have done. Because we Kenyans cannot see what they have done.”

Categories
Social Justice Centres Working Group Solidarity

EXCHANGE VISIT BY FORD GLOBAL FELLOWS TO MATHARE SOCIAL JUSTICE CENTRE, NAIROBI

Date: May 6th, 2025
Location: Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC), Nairobi, Kenya
Event Hosted by: Mathare Social Justice Centre, Nairobi Chapter Working Group in partnership with the Ford Global Fellows (FGF)

Overview

A cohort of more than 30 Ford Global Fellows visited the Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC) for an in-depth exchange with grassroots organizers and activists from the different centres and organizations forming the Nairobi Working Group Chapter. This brought together Mathare Social Justice Centre as the host, Githurai Social Justice Centre (GSJC), Mukuru Community Justice Centre (MCJC), Kayole Community Justice Centre (KCJC), Ngong Social Justice Centre (NSJC), Kenya Organic Intellectuals’ Network (KOIN), and the Social Justice Centers Traveling Theatre (SJCTT).  This interaction, grounded in the “fishbowl” discussion, created a dynamic, respectful, and layered dialogue space centered around justice, resistance, and future-building of social movements amidst adversity and precarity.

The visit was not merely observational—it was a space for mutual learning and solidarity building, bringing together global fellows and local community leaders, activists, community organizers, writers, and cultural workers confronting systemic injustice, poverty, and climate crisis through grassroots mobilization and solidarity in Nairobi’s poor neighborhoods.

ENGAGEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES OF THE DAY

  1. Welcoming and Entertainment

Ford Global Fellows were welcomed by MSJC Teen Mothers through a mix of different traditional dances.

This was later followed by a brief orientation and walk around at the MSJC’s main office, the MSJC Creative Hub, and the Legal Empowerment Hub explaining their roles in MSJC’s everyday organizing. They also got to interact with books published by KOIN and reports under different campaigns at the MSJC. The introduction session was wrapped up after the fellows were given a chance to interact with different merchandise from caps, t-shirts, hats, handbags, bracelets made by Teen Mothers and Dhobi and Domestic Workers Network.

  • Fishbowl Dialogue

Structure and Themes of the Dialogue

The fishbowl dialogue was led by Milano Harden from the Ford Global Fellows and Wanjira Wanjiru from the MSJC. Other discussants were Davis Tafari from SJCTT, Waringa Wahome from the Legal Empowerment Network at MSJC, and Mwangi Nicholas from KOIN.

The dialogue happened in two rounds, with different prompts for each session.

Prompt #1: “Where is Justice and Positive Change Arising?”

The discussants explored:

  • Manifestations of justice and positive change within Mathare.
  • The places and moments where transformation is occurring.
  • Areas where justice remains elusive or contested.

Through these prompts, members of the Nairobi Chapter Working Group share their ongoing struggles, work and experience, and also significant incremental progress and victories in advancing social justice from below. Fellows also shared similar efforts from their own contexts, creating a global-local conversation on resistance, and shared ideas on how to meaningfully link their struggles and create sites of solidarities.

Prompt #2: “Visions for the Future”

This prompt asked:

  • What is the powerful, just climate future imagined for Mathare?
  • What could emerge if the community stays the course in its fight for justice?

This future-facing dialogue drew from the lived knowledge and aspirations of the community, emphasizing youth leadership, climate justice, and reclaiming space and dignity. It centered the poor urban communities of Nairobi in the conversation, as the most affected population by climate change and who continue to shoulder this burden disproportionately.

Open Session: Insights and exchange

The last part of the discussion was an open session for sharing different experiences from different parts of the world and learning from each other. This session allowed for cross-pollination of different ideas fronted.

Detailed Time Flow

The session opened with acknowledgments from both MSJC and Ford Foundation staff. Attendees were grounded in Mathare’s history, the land beneath their feet, and the origins of MSJC, which rose out of a need to document and resist extrajudicial killings and systemic neglect.

3:15–3:30 PM: Entry Prompt + Settling

Participants were invited to reflect on the core question:

“What does it mean to RISE and BUILD something beautiful in the midst of complex, urban challenges?”

Participants introduced themselves in a round emphasizing presence and purpose:

This moment symbolized the unification of diverse voices around a common struggle.

3:30–4:15 PM: Fishbowl Discussion

Moderated by C. Milano Harden, Adria Goodson, Kanali Luseno  (Core Design Team 4.2025)                and Wanjira Wanjiru. This first round of the fishbowl allowed activists from Nairobi to share grounded experiences of organizing in “perilous times.”

Topics discussed included:

  • Community responses to state violence.
  • Building power through mutual aid.
  • Youth as knowledge-holders and frontline defenders.
  • The emotional labor of organizing from within spaces of trauma.
  • The relationship between climate justice and housing/infrastructure.

Ford Fellows responded with insights from their respective geographies, discussing how they:

  • Sustain long-term organizing under authoritarian and extractive regimes.
  • Leverage networks for advocacy and survival.
  • Protect themselves and others emotionally and spiritually while resisting systemic violence.

Reflections and Impact

The exchange reaffirmed:

  • The value of solidarity across borders, emphasizing on both North-South and South-South Solidarities.
  • The importance of grounded organizing—starting from one’s immediate context, but reaching globally.
  • That justice must be imagined collectively and built through constant action and reflection, as outlined by Brazilian Educationist, Paulo Freire.

This moment was more than a conversation—it was an act of transnational solidarity, rooted in the hope that communities like Mathare are not isolated, but part of a global fabric of resistance and future-building.

GALLERY

NAIROBI CHAPTER WORKING GROUP

Prepared by,

GATHANGA ndung’u

Categories
Legal Empowerment Network Police Brutality

STATEMENT ON THREATS AND SMEAR CAMPAIGN AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER WANJIRA WANJIRU

Issued by the Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC) on 17th June 2025

The Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC) strongly condemns the ongoing threats and incitement targeting human rights defenders who are courageously advancing the People’s Demands, empowered by their constitutional rights under Article 37 to protest and petition. Of grave concern is the recent inciteful tweet by state agent Francis Gaitho, who is spearheading a smear campaign against Wanjira Wanjiru, a respected and committed social justice and human rights activist with MSJC

The Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC) strongly condemns the ongoing threats and incitement targeting human rights defenders who are courageously advancing the People’s Demands, empowered by their constitutional rights under Article 37 to protest and petition. Of grave concern is the recent inciteful tweet by state agent Francis Gaitho, who is spearheading a smear campaign against Wanjira Wanjiru, a respected and committed social justice and human rights activist with MSJC. His words, “if you see Wanjira Wanjiru in the streets, mumalizeni”, constitute a direct threat to her life and to the broader movement defending democratic rights, justice, and dignity.

These utterances, echoed by other state-backed elements, are part of a wider smear campaign aimed at delegitimizing the people’s uprising and diverting attention from the legitimate demands for justice.

Let it be known: should anything happen to Wanjira Wanjiru or any other social justice and human rights defender, the responsibility shall lie squarely with the state under President William Samoei Ruto.

MSJC has consistently and boldly advocated against extra-judicial killings and police brutality—an issue that has become more rampant and openly violent since the #Occupy protests of 2024. The records of killings are public, brutal, and shamefully unaddressed. We demand accountability and an immediate end to this repression.

The voices rising in defense of life, land, and dignity are built by the conscience of a people betrayed. The People’s Demands are demands for social justice: the right to food, education, housing, jobs, healthcare, land, and freedom from violence and exploitation. These are not privileges; they are rights. The mass uprising being prepared for June 25th is rooted in these clear and uncompromising demands for TOTAL LIBERATION.

We call upon all human rights institutions, civil society, and the international community to stand in solidarity and urgently raise protection mechanisms for all activists under threat.

THE SECRETARIAT
MATHARE SOCIAL JUSTICE CENTRE (MSJC)

Kwa Macharia Building, Opposite Shell Petrol Station, Juja Road, Bondeni, Mathare

matharesocialjusticecentre@gmail.com

http://matharesociajustice.org

Categories
Dhobi Women Network

Report on Dhobi Women Solidarity and Advocacy Event – 02.05.2025.

Introduction

On 2nd May 2025, the Dhobi Women Network, in collaboration with the Mathare Social Justice Centre, hosted a Solidarity and Advocacy Event under the theme “In Defense of Equality and Dignity.” The event aimed to illuminate the struggles and vital contributions of domestic workers.

The event was originally planned for 1st May, World Labour Day, a public holiday recognizing workers’ contributions to the nation’s economy. However, the security apparatus, together with the government, blocked the event, citing that we could not organize a parallel workers’ celebration to that which was organized by the President at Uhuru Gardens. This raised questions about whether “mama fua” work qualifies as legitimate labour in Kenya. This exclusion underscores the marginalization of domestic workers, prompting the event’s rescheduling to 2nd May to amplify their voices and challenge such dismissive narratives.

Context and Significance

The event was supported by Mathare Social Justice Centre campaigns, namely; Ecological Justice Campaign, Teen Mums Campaign, Drugs and Crime Campaign, Legal Empowerment Hub, and Participatory Action Research Committee. Organizations such as Maisha Safe House, Safer Girls Generation, and Weslux Organisation also joined the Dhobi Women to commemorate this day. The event united domestic workers, advocates, and community members. It honored those who have lost their lives in domestic work and underscored the indispensable role of domestic workers in society, framing their challenges as global issues.

Central to the event was the recognition that knowledge empowers women to stand up for themselves. Forums like this are critical for equipping domestic workers with the awareness and confidence to combat harassment and exploitation. The event’s rallying cry, encapsulated in the quote “If you liberate yourself, you liberate your generation,” inspired participants to unite for their rights and dignity, addressing systemic issues such as lack of contracts, outdated labour laws, and meagre wages.

Kenya’s legal framework, rooted in the Constitution of Kenya (2010), guarantees every individual the right to human dignity. Article 30 affirms respectful treatment of workers free from any form of servitude and discrimination. The law mandates fair labour practices, equitable wages, and safe working conditions, providing a foundation to combat exploitation, abuse, and discriminatory practices faced by domestic workers.

Background of the Dhobi Women Network.

The Dhobi Women Network, a registered network that seeks to unite domestic workers from Mathare and beyond to confront severe workplace challenges, including sexual violence, physical assault, unpaid labour, and loss of life under exploitative conditions. The group collaborates with the Legal Empowerment Hub to provide recourse for domestic workers. The Dhobi Women Movement empowers workers through resources, legal support, and solidarity, addressing unfair wages, power imbalances, and exploitation to elevate the status of domestic work and foster a supportive community.

The network also promotes economic empowerment through table banking, a community-based savings and lending system, enhancing financial stability for domestic workers excluded from formal banking.

Objectives of the Event

The Solidarity and Advocacy Event aimed to amplify domestic workers’ voices and foster collective action against workplace injustices in the context of Labour Day, under the theme “In Defense of Equality and Dignity.”

Specific objectives included;

  • Raising awareness of domestic workers’ struggles, emphasizing their societal role, and the power of knowledge in enabling women to stand up for themselves.
  • Encouraging women to unite against harassment, inspired by the quote: “Eastleigh bila mama fua haiwezekani”. This statement translates and means that Eastleigh cannot sustain itself without domestic workers.
  • Framing international solidarity of domestic workers’ challenges as a global issue, with the Weslux Organisation advocating for including boys in discussions.
  • Strengthening collaboration with the Legal Empowerment Hub, Maisha Safe House, and Safer Girls Generation to support domestic workers who face assaults and sexual and gender based violence at their workplaces.
  • Highlighting systemic issues like lack of contracts, outdated laws, and meagre wages through panel discussions.
  • Promoting research-informed advocacy, as emphasized by the Research and Development Department.
  • Reinforcing the importance of forums like this for empowering women to advocate for their rights.

Event Program & Activities

The event featured activities supported by Mathare Social Justice Centre campaigns and external organizations, emphasizing knowledge as a tool for empowerment:

  • A solidarity walk from Mukinye to Dhobi Women Park, PCEA Sportsground Eastleigh, asserting the visibility of domestic workers whose labour is often hidden in private homes. The walk symbolized a reclaiming of public space, challenging the authorities’ dismissal of “mama fua” as non-labour and reinforcing the theme “In Defense of Equality and Dignity.”
  • Speeches affirming the societal importance of domestic workers and the role of forums in equipping women with knowledge to combat exploitation.
  • A panel discussion titled “Labor, Justice, and Gender addressed the following issues.
    • Lack of contracts which leave domestic workers vulnerable to exploitation.
    • Outdated labour laws that have failed to protect domestic workers, particularly “mama fua.”
    • Meagre wages, which undermine workers’ dignity and financial stability.
    • The intersection of gender, class, and labour precarity, including femicides, as raised by the Women in Social Justice Movement representative.
    • The political marginalization of domestic workers, exemplified by the police’s refusal on 1st May, citing the President’s address to “employees” and questioning the legitimacy of “mama fua” labour.
  • Contributions from supporting organizations and people;
    • Maisha Safe House: Highlighted their role in providing safe houses for expectant teenage girls, offering protection and support. They delivered a detailed presentation on their work, providing a haven for teen girls who become pregnant while working as domestic workers. They shared stories of young women they have supported, emphasizing the need for protection from exploitation and access to education and healthcare.
    • Safer Girls Generation: Shared educational initiatives to empower young girls with self-protection skills in domestic work. Their contribution highlighted the importance of preventive education, inspiring attendees to advocate for safer working environments for the next generation of domestic workers.
    • Weslux Organisation: Emphasized the global nature of domestic workers’ struggles and the need to engage boys, often perpetrators, in solutions. They led a dynamic discussion on the global nature of domestic workers’ struggles, stressing that exploitation is a universal issue requiring inclusive solutions. They advocated for the welfare of boys, who are often seen as perpetrators. Weslux shared case studies of successful gender-inclusive advocacy, encouraging participants to adopt similar approaches in Mathare and beyond. Their call to broaden the conversation resonated, sparking commitments to engage male allies in future initiatives.
  • Insights from the Research and Development Department, using case studies to advocate for merging research with practical advocacy.
  • Interactive sessions encouraging domestic workers to leverage knowledge to reject harassment and empower their communities.

Key Outcomes & Impact

The event achieved significant outcomes:

  • Empowered Through Knowledge: Participants gained a deeper understanding of their rights and systemic issues, reinforcing that knowledge enables women to stand up for themselves.
  • Strengthened Solidarity: Support from Mathare Social Justice Centre campaigns and organizations like Maisha Safe House, Safer Girls Generation, and Weslux Organisation fostered collective advocacy. This also affirmed a sense of solidarity among the dhobi women in their collective campaign.
  • Recognition of Forums’ Importance: The event highlighted the critical role of such gatherings in empowering women to combat exploitation and harassment.
  • Collective Empowerment: The quote “If you liberate yourself, you liberate your generation” inspired domestic workers to unite for change.
  • Research-Driven Advocacy: The Participatory Action Research Committee focuses on merging research with application, laying a foundation for evidence-based solutions. A call was made for community organizers to join research to shape policies by giving the needed grassroots voice.
Vision of the Network & Next Steps

The Dhobi Women Network and its working group aim to;

  • Sustain advocacy for domestic workers’ rights, leveraging the knowledge shared in forums like this.
  • Expand outreach to engage more domestic workers, with support from Maisha Safe House, Safer Girls Generation, and Weslux Organisation.
  • Advocate for legal reforms to include domestic workers, addressing contracts, wages, and outdated laws.
  • Use research from case studies to inform practical advocacy, bridging research and application.
  • Organize future forums to maintain solidarity, honour fallen workers, engage the boychild in solutions, and empower women through knowledge.

Acknowledgement

We thank our partner organizations such as Maisha Safe House, Safer Girls Generation, Weslux Organisation, and the Women in Social Justice Movement, for your generous contribution and solidarity. We also thank Dr. David Mwambari from the University of Nairobi for his generous contributions and commitment towards this course.

Asante sana!

Conclusion

The Dhobi Women Solidarity and Advocacy Event on 2nd May 2025 stood as a powerful testament to the resilience and determination of domestic workers in their fight for equality and dignity. Despite the police’s refusal to permit the event on International Labour Day, the Dhobi Women Network and its allies transformed adversity into an opportunity to amplify the voices of mama fua and other domestic workers.

The theme “In Defense of Equality and Dignity” resonated throughout, underscoring that domestic work is legitimate work deserving of respect, fair wages, and legal safeguards. Moving forward, the Dhobi Women Network remains committed to building a future where domestic workers are visible, valued, and empowered, ensuring their struggles and contributions are never again sidelined.

Report prepared by:

Sellah Omuka,

Vincent Mahugu &

Joana Neumann

Gallery

Categories
Legal Empowerment Network

THE LEGAL EMPOWERMENT HUB: Building people’s agency in social movements

Introduction
The Legal Empowerment Hub is an initiative of Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC) and the legal firm of
Waringa Wahome & Co Advocates. It builds on MSJC’S decade long of community organizing and building networks of peoples’ agency along different issues such as extra judicial killings, right to life, right to clean and safe drinking water, on Article 43 (which provides for Social and Economic rights), political
accountability, gender based violence, right to food among other issues. Movements such as the Dhobi Women Network, the Ecological Justice Network, Waste Pickers Network and Community Health Workers and the Campaign against Drugs, Crime, and Violence have emerged as frontlines in the struggle
for social justice and dignity. The hub now seeks to consolidate the gains of 10 years of community organizing by merging law with the people, demystifying legal processes, equipping communities to build their agency, and transforming legal practice into a tool for defending social justice.
Situated in the informal settlement of Mathare, the LEH is built on the conviction that law can and must be reclaimed as a weapon for the people, particularly of the grassroots in their struggle for human rights and social justice. We believe that legal tools should be placed in the hands of social movements, those at the margins who are best positioned to shape social justice from below in defense of their rights, dignity, and livelihood.


Vision
The Legal Empowerment Hub envisions a society where communities use the law as a tool to build people’s agency in advancing social justice movements that defend their dignity and livelihoods.
Our vision is rooted in the belief that the law is not neutral—it is a concentrated form of politics.
Therefore, building the legal power of social justice movements is essential in building people’s structure for confronting the oppression’s structural roots and defending their social justice, dignity, and livelihood.


Purpose and Orientation
The Legal Empowerment Hub aims to move away from the fragmented rights discourse to the conceptualization, operationalization, and strategizing on different fronts of the strategic rights-struggle and the struggle for commons (public goods such as land, education, health, water), a struggle for decent
livelihoods and human dignity. It is a pedagogical space—an infrastructure where legal consciousness meets grassroots mobilization and organization to generate jurisprudence and community agency that serves the struggle for social justice and human rights.

LEH Strategic Focus Areas.
LEN is organized around six interconnected focus areas:

  1. Public Interest Litigation (PIL): strategic legal action in defense of the commons- public goods and
    against structural injustices, guided by community-defined priorities.
  1. Participatory Action Research and writing: movement-led social investigations into law and policy
    that document harm, expose injustice, and inform legal strategies, and, produce journals that
    documents the struggles of social movements to be their own agency.
  2. Alternative Justice Systems (AJS): Reviving community-based traditions and mechanism to resolve
    disputes. A system rooted in dialogue, equity, and restorative justice.
  3. Public Participation: Facilitating community influence in legislative and policy processes through organized voice and legal knowledge aimed at bringing strategic sectors of law and politics to the
    public domain.
  4. Technology and the Law: Leveraging digital tools to broaden access, democratize information, education and communication. Further exploring the intersectionality between AI, the law and politics.
  5. Court Solidarity: Building collective response mechanisms to support human rights and social
    justice activists facing criminalization or repression of civic and democratic spaces.


Structure of LEH

Membership (Network):
Networks forming the LEN

1. Legal practitioners

2. Community organizers

3. Legal students and Paralegals

4. Domestic Workers Network

5. Waste Pickers Network

6. Community Health Workers

7. Matatu Workers Network

8. Ecological Justice Network

9. Arts for social change

10. Participatory Action Research and writing

11. Court Users’ Committee


Strategic Intent
Our strategic plan focuses on building infrastructure for legal empowerment through:
 Legal cafés and clinics.
 Creating a network of law students, paralegals, lawyers, community legal volunteers, and social justice activists grounded in social justice education and community practice.
 Documentation and publication of legal developments to shape a social justice archive and narrative.
 Training programs and community-led legal awareness campaigns.
 Building social justice movements that are anchored in the struggle for social justice and dignity.

Conclusion

The LEH is an experiment in reclaiming the law as a tool to build community agency. We seek to support the construction of legal strategies that challenge oppression, defend life, dignity, and livelihoods.
As we walk with social justice movements, we recognize that courts do not deliver social justice, it is demanded, organized for, and won in struggle.

Developed by:
Waringa Wahome
Secretary, Steering Committee Legal Empowerment Hub.
Gacheke Gachihi
Chair, Steering Committee, Legal Empowerment Hub, and
coordinator, Mathare Social Justice Centre

Categories
Dhobi Women Network

Report on Training of Dhobi Women Human Rights Monitors- 13.03.2024

Introduction

The Dhobi Women Network, in collaboration with the Mathare Social Justice Centre, organized a Human Rights Monitor Training to empower domestic workers by equipping them with essential knowledge about their rights, giving them the necessary tools to report workplace exploitation, and providing them with a trusted support network. As part of the Training, selected participants will be trained as Dhobi Women Human Rights Monitors, serving as key contact persons for domestic workers facing injustices. This specialized training addresses the widespread exploitation, violence, and discrimination that domestic workers in Eastleigh and Mathare experience daily. By fostering awareness and advocacy skills, the program cultivates a strong, united network of domestic workers who stand in solidarity, support one another, and collectively defend their peers against workplace injustices.

Understanding their rights is crucial for domestic workers to protect themselves from exploitation. Kenya’s legal framework provides robust protections for workers, anchored in the Constitution of Kenya (2010), which guarantees every individual the right to human dignity. The Constitution mandates fair labor practices, equitable wages, and safe working conditions, affirming the right of every worker to be treated with respect. However, despite these legal safeguards, domestic workers—often marginalized—continue to face severe exploitation. By equipping them with legal knowledge and practical tools, the training empowers them to challenge abuse, discrimination, and unjust labor practices effectively.

Background of the Dhobi Women Network

The Dhobi Women Network is a collective of domestic workers from Mathare who have united to address the severe challenges they face in their workplaces. Many have experienced several human rights violations, including sexual violence, physical assault, and unpaid labor—some have even lost their lives. Recognizing the urgent need for change, they came together to advocate for fair labor practices, equitable wages, and dignified working conditions.

At its core, the Dhobi Women Network serves as a platform for empowerment and advocacy, providing domestic workers with access to resources, legal support, and solidarity. By tackling issues such as unjust wages, power imbalances, and workplace exploitation, the Network aims to elevate the status of domestic work and foster a supportive community committed to workers’ rights.

Beyond advocacy, the network actively promotes economic empowerment through initiatives like table banking – a community-based savings and lending system that provides financial stability to domestic workers, many of whom lack access to formal banking services. By saving and borrowing collectively, members can strengthen their financial resilience and reduce their economic vulnerability. Additionally, the network has rebuilt community land in Eastleigh, transforming it into a community green space where members have planted trees and vegetables. This space serves as a hub for Dhobi women to connect, share experiences, and support one another. Looking ahead, they plan to establish a nursery and expand vegetable farming as an additional income source, helping them become less dependent on employers, where they often face exploitation.

(The Dhobi Women Network at the official launch of their Network to support and empower domestic workers.)

Objectives of the Training

The Dhobi Women Human Rights Monitor Training is designed to empower domestic workers by equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to protect their rights and support their peers facing exploitation. The program aims to train selected participants as Human Rights Monitors, enabling them to identify and document cases of mistreatment, provide guidance to affected individuals, and advocate for systemic change.

A key goal of the training is to raise awareness of gender-based violence (GBV) and highlight the importance of proper documentation and reporting. Participants also gain essential knowledge of human and labor rights, empowering them to recognize and challenge abusive practices in their workplaces. Additionally, the program includes psychosocial support, providing strategies to help domestic workers cope with trauma and assist others in similar situations.

Beyond individual empowerment, the training fosters network building by encouraging collaboration and solidarity among domestic workers. By strengthening their collective voice, participants contribute to a sustainable support system that promotes fair and dignified working conditions for all domestic workers in the community.

Training Program & Activities

Held at the Mathare Social Justice Center on 13 March 2024, the day-long training engaged participants through a blend of theoretical and practical sessions. Facilitated by MSJC staff, local experts, and members of the society, the program highlighted the following; 

  • Rights Education: Lectures on constitutional protections, the Employment Act (2007), and Gender Based Violence laws, highlighting rights to unjust wages and safe conditions.
  • Documentation Workshops: Hands-on exercises using a standardized reporting form, practicing how to log incidents (e.g., a verbal threat at 9 AM on 10 March) and preserve evidence like text messages or witness accounts.
  • Harassment Typology: Group discussions on; 
    • Verbal harassment (e.g., “You’re worthless,” shouted by an employer).
    • Physical harassment (e.g., slapping during a dispute over wages).
    • Sexual harassment (e.g., unwanted touching reported by a majority of participants).
    • Discriminatory practices (e.g., lower pay for women from certain ethnic groups).
    • Psychological harassment (e.g., threats by employers and accusations).
  • Psychosocial Support: Role-playing to practice trauma-coping techniques, such as peer counseling, with guidance from a trained counselor.
  • Networking Session: A closing circle where participants shared contacts and pledged mutual support, forming the Dhobi Monitors Collective.

The training’s participatory design, rooted in MSJC’s methodology, ensured that participants’ stories, like one woman’s account of unpaid overtime spanning six months, shaped the content.

(Sadyia and Sella, the Programme coordiantors of the Dhobi Women Network Introducing the Nework and opening the first Training Session.) (Wangeshi, one of the Trainers, teaching about Gender-Based Violence.)

(Vincent, lawyer at MSJC and member of the Legal Empowerment Network, introducing the Reporting form to participants.)

(Trainers of the Human Rights Monitor Training and the Program Coordinators of the Dhobi Women Network closing the session.)

Development of the Self-Help Reporting Template

A key outcome of the meeting was the co-development of a self-help reporting template, designed to empower individuals to document rights violations clearly and systematically. Created collaboratively by participants and facilitators, it includes:

  1. Incident Details: Fields for date, time, location, and description (e.g., “Employer withheld KES 2,000 on 5 March 2024”).
  2. Evidence Log: Space to list supporting materials (e.g., a photo of a bruise, a neighbor’s statement).
  3. Legal Linkage: Instructions to submit copies to the Legal Empowerment Network (LEN), a pro bono coalition of lawyers.
  4. Training Focus: Emphasis on legality (e.g., recordings permissible only with consent under Kenyan law) and consistency.
  5. Providing training on proper completion of the reporting form, with an emphasis on leaving a trail of evidence such as messages, recordings (where legally permissible), witness statements, and documented patterns of harassment.

The reporting template not only facilitates the creation of robust evidence for legal redress but also enhances collaboration with the Legal Empowerment Network, which is prepared to offer guidance and assistance based on the submitted reports. Training on the proper completion of this template stressed the importance of leaving an evidentiary trail, ranging from messages to recordings and witness statements, that can be pivotal in legal proceedings. 

Key Outcomes & Impact

The training has resulted in significant outcomes. 

  1. Enhanced Knowledge and Awareness: Participants gained a clearer understanding of their rights and the necessary steps to document and report workplace abuses.
  2. Empowerment through Documentation: The reporting template enables domestic workers to compile robust evidence, thereby facilitating legal support and advocacy.
  3. Strengthened Support Networks: The initiative has reinforced solidarity among domestic workers, promoting collective action.
  4. Improved Collaboration: The linkage between domestic workers and the Legal Empowerment Network ensures that cases of exploitation receive prompt and effective legal assistance.

Vision of the Network & Next Steps

Looking ahead, the Dhobi Women Network is planning to expand its Human Rights Monitor Trainings. As a first step, seven of the 35 women who attended the initial session have been selected for a specialized training program.

This program will begin with informal meetings in the park, where our Head of Program, Sella, and Sadiya will engage with them about their work, introduce them to key aspects of human rights monitoring, and familiarize them with local police stations. Following this introduction, the network will hold weekly training sessions covering essential topics, such as a detailed guide on how to report cases effectively. The trained monitors are expected to serve as frontline advocates within their communities, actively supporting domestic workers facing exploitation. They will form a dedicated working group to address and prevent workplace injustices more effectively. Additionally, they will play a key role in refining and implementing the self-help reporting template, ensuring it remains responsive to the evolving needs of domestic workers.

As many domestic workers have reached out to the Dhobi Women Network requesting to join future sessions, the network is planning to implement six more training sessions. These sessions will educate more domestic workers on human rights and select new Human Rights Monitors from the participants, further strengthening the Monitor Network and the Dhobi Women Network. Expanding outreach efforts will also be a priority, allowing the network to reach more domestic workers, strengthen support structures, and enhance the overall impact of their advocacy.
Furthermore, to strengthen the Dhobi Women Network, members are planning to come together for the next community event on April 25th.

(Participants of the Human Rights Monitor Training following the class discussion.)

Conclusion

The Human Rights Monitor Training on 13th March 2024 marks a pivotal step in the Dhobi Women Network’s fight for justice. By equipping 35 domestic workers with the skills to become Human Rights Defenders, it directly challenges the exploitation that has long plagued Mathare and Eastleigh. The self-help reporting template and strategic partnerships provide practical accountability tools, while the Monitors’ collective strength drives lasting change. Future Human Rights Monitor Trainings will further strengthen this network, paving the way for the establishment of a dedicated Human Rights Monitor Network within the Dhobi Women Network. This work exemplifies MSJC’s ethos: empowering communities to demand dignity, equity, and workplace safety.

Report prepared by,

Vincent Makungu

and

Joana Neumann

Categories
Organic Intellectuals Network

Tribute to my Comrade, Pheroze.

Comrade Pheroze,

Dear Pheroze, you didn’t prepare us for this transition. It feels like it happened so fast, so suddenly. We were together two weeks ago in Mathare, where you were recuperating and full of life.

Though we grieve, I find comfort in knowing that you have joined your comrades in the struggle for social justice, Comrade Pio Gama Pinto and Comrade Bildad Kaggia. Before your transition, I hope you told Comrade Kaggia that you were writing a book about your experiences with him. Please also greet Mama Wambui Kaggia, and let her know that you spoke of her and her powerful stance on memory, that we must not only remember our heroes but also those who betrayed our struggle.

The Gen Z of this country carries that wisdom in our minds and hearts, as we take up the mantle of social justice and dignity, moving forward.

I tend to believe that in the journey of life, we are sometimes blessed with rare individuals whose presence, however brief, leaves an indelible mark on our hearts and minds.

To me, that was you, my dear comrade Pheroze.

I hold close the memories of those evenings we spent around your kitchen dining table, sharing chevda and coffee while you sipped your Coke. Our conversations about the state of the country and what we must do next still echo in my mind.

Your gentle laughter, your compassion, and your commitment to justice and activism made you a beacon of light to many, even for those like me who were fortunate enough to cross your path.

Though our time together may have been limited, your influence was immense. Your intellect and insight were beyond measure, yet you carried them with humility and grace. You embodied the essence of selflessness, always prioritizing the collective good.

You believed deeply in the power of activism to bring change, not just through words, but through action. You demonstrated this in courtrooms: quiet, persistent, and determined.

Your commitment to social justice and equity in this country and your unwavering advocacy for the rights of the marginalized were nothing short of inspiring. Through your work, you showed us what true leadership looks like, not in seeking recognition, but in staying true to the values and principles of social justice, and in serving others with utmost dedication.

Comrade Pheroze, in the time we spent together, your impact was profound. Your wisdom continues to resonate, inspiring those of us who were touched by your life. We are forever grateful for your sacrifices. You will always be remembered as a wise and selfless intellectual whose legacy lives on in the hearts of all who were fortunate enough to know you.

And as for us—those still here, fighting for dignity, justice, and a better Kenya—we will continue the struggle in your memory. We will breathe life into the Gen-Z Memorization Campaign, and write your name alongside the martyrs of our generation, like Rex, and the 70+ young people killed by Ruto and his regime.

With much admiration, always.

Comradely,

Njeri Mwangi MSJC|Organic Intellectuals

Categories
anti-capitalism

Reflection Paper on “Savage, Victim, Saviour: The Metaphor of Human Rights” by Prof. Makau Mutua

AI generated Image for illustration purposes

“Savage, Victim, Saviour: The Metaphor of Human Rights,” Professor Makau Mutua
provides an analysis of international human rights by taking apart its framework. He argues that human rights discourse relies on a fundamental and flawed model, the Savage-Victim-Saviour (SVS) framework, where the West is cast as the force that is helping the non-Western world from its barbarism. This is not only rhetorical but structurally constitutive of how human rights function internationally: reproducing power contradictions, effacing cultural difference, and perpetuating imperial domination in the name of civilization. This paper reflects on this metaphor in detail, regarding the role of the Global South in the current human rights domain, with special emphasis on post-colonial African societies. I would like to maintain that although the human rights paradigm is still relevant in many fights, it needs to be rethought and reframed in terms of plurality, resistance, and decolonial imagination to escape its imperial foundations.
As it is depicted by Mutua, the SVS metaphor unfolds like a three-act drama. The “savage” is traditionally defined as a state or culture from the developing world and is portrayed as barbaric, oppressive to women, or seen as having a propensity for violence. Essentially, the “victim” is the one who bears the burden of this vicious culture or regime, often women, children, or the marginalized. The “saviour” is then Western liberalism, institutions, NGOs, and actors who rescue the victim from the clutches of the savage. As described by Mutua, this narrative is far from being a politically correct one. It is also highly racialized, gendered, and geopolitical. It portrays non-Western cultures as primitive and needing the White man’s shower of civilization and grace, thus justifying colonialism as moral intervention.

On the one hand, Mutua’s analysis made me feel provoked, on the other, affirmed. I first understood human rights as a system of legal norms that aimed at the protection of the dignity and freedoms of a person. However, Mutua challenges: who else determines these rights, how they are implemented, and whose norms shape them. His critique is not a rejection of human rights, and it is not saying that human rights are a farce: it is saying that there is a need for honesty about the movement for human rights not being as democratic or as global as is claimed. In the African settings where colonial and postcolonial imprints on governance, development, and justice persist, the savior narrative is all too familiar. It is seen in the donor policies, in international courts, humanitarian advocacy, and even in the frameworks for peacebuilding. Often, local others are marginalized, and communities are reduced to passive victims receiving ready-made solutions.
One powerful aspect of Mutua’s work is useful as a reminder of the performative nature of international human rights. He claims that the language of human rights and human rights discourse is alien to the African people. Movement tribunals, reports, missions, and resolutions resemble a moral theater in which the West continues to stage itself as a saviour of humanity. This metaphor can be demonstrated, for example, by the obsession that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has with African leaders and figures, while Western actors are often let off the hook as being too powerful. Mutua’s insight makes us consider important questions: Is international law objective, or is it just an instrument that reflects global hierarchies? And how can a human rights movement that often speaks about communities be just?
At the same time, it is also pertinent to briefly consider some of the weaknesses of Mutua’s argument. Even though the SVS metaphor is a useful analytic tool, it can lead to generalizing the bad aspects of all international human rights efforts with the same broad brush. There are grassroots actors and movements mainly in Africa, Latin America, and Asia that use human rights language in deeply transformative ways. For instance, in Mathare, social activism is characterized by the fights against police violence, gender based violence, and forcible eviction, and is structured by discourses of dignity, justice, and rights. But again, these articulations are based on real-life experiences, not external impositions. This means that the challenge is not to completely reject the human rights regime but rather to redefine and reshape it from a saviour model of development to a solidarity model. Human rights must become a language of resistance and not domination.
I have gained more insight into analyzing the field of human rights, and it has helped me to interrogate my positionality: what I consider justice, whose voices I center in advocacy, and how I navigate power dynamics in research and activism. It also brought back awareness about decolonizing knowledge production, realizing that African philosophies, struggles, and systems of justice are not derivative or marginal to global discourses but constitutive of them. Thus, as we face modern adversities ranging from climate justice to the question of state violence, we must ask if what we wield is part of the problem or part of the solution.
In conclusion, Professor Makau’s “Savage, Victim, Saviour” is still a classic criticism of the human rights paradigm. It challenges the possibility of human rights, but also the stories that undergird them. The movement itself has accomplished much, though we must recognize its flaws as well. As scholars and activists, that means it is high time we leave the saviour complex behind and engage in human rights activism based on solidarity, human dignity, and radical thinking. In this vein, the pursuit of human rights is not an entitlement bestowed by the hegemonic powers.
However, it was built and sustained on the basis of the Indigenous people’s own struggles, processes of construction, and claims.

 Tiffany Wanjiru

mbuguatiff@gmail.com

Tiffany Wanjiru Mbugua is a Kenyan human rights scholar-activist and community organizer working with the Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC). She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Human Rights in the Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies at the University of Nairobi.

Her academic work so far focuses on the intersection of militarization, politics, and human rights in Africa, with a particular emphasis on Kenya. In January 2025, she published a paper titled “The Militarization of Politics and Politicization of the Military: African and Kenyan Perspective,” which explores the impact of military involvement in politics on democracy and socio-economic structures in the region.

At MSJC, Tiffany engages in grassroots activism, contributing to community-led research and advocacy efforts aimed at addressing systemic injustices in informal settlements like Mathare. Her work includes documenting human rights violations, promoting environmental justice, and empowering marginalized groups through education and community organizing.

Through her combined academic and activist endeavors, Tiffany Wanjiru Mbugua exemplifies a commitment to decolonial approaches to human rights and social justice in Kenya.

Categories
Ecological Justice Network Mathare Green Movement

Stop the Criminalization of Environment Defenders in Mathare!

Over the last few months, the police have been harassing and illegally detaining young environment defenders in Mathare.

They have also been sanctioning the destruction of our people’s parks and green livelihoods.

We condemn these actions in our strongest voices, and have written a petition to the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, to put a stop to this criminalization of young people who are involved in ecological work in Mathare.

This petition can be downloaded through this link:

Petition against the systemic criminalization of young environment defenders in Mathare Download

To learn more about the ecological work of youth groups in Mathare, you can watch this short video produced by the Ecological Justice Network, Mathare.

Categories
anti-capitalism Dhobi Women Network GBV Campaign Organic Intellectuals Network

Dhobi Women’s Table Banking

Last week, I had the chance to sit with the Dhobi Women Network/Domestic Workers Network Mathare, as they had a meeting for their table banking practices. This was the Tujikomboe Group; tujikomboe means liberating ourselves.

The group is composed of women who are domestic workers from Mathare but work in Eastleigh. Because of their work, the first point of convergence for these women was not the table banking, but they came together to form a support group in the face of the different violations and exploitation they were undergoing in their work environment, such as rape, assault and not being compensated after work. There are also many cases of their colleagues being killed in the work space.

This Network mobilizes domestic workers to offer each other solidarity. When they are together, they take collective action, advocate for fair labor practices, equitable wages and dignified working conditions. They also educate each other about their rights, so as to enhance their protection from exploitation in their work places.

Dhobi women, like most women in low income areas, also face numerous challenges. For example, they have limited access to formal financial systems and also face gender-based inequalities that restrict their economic independence. Because working as a casual labourer or a domestic worker means engaging in low-wage, unstable and informal employment, these women are often excluded from formal banking services due to a lack of formal identity documents, their irregular income, and other barriers. However, the Network has come up with an innovative solution to their financial struggles: this is a local version of table banking. This practice of community-based savings and lending has proven to be a lifeline, providing economic empowerment and stability to women domestic workers living in Mathare. From a revolving fund of as low as 3500 KES, the Network has been able to grow their savings to 51,000 KES, and have the goals of saving half a million by the end of the year, and buying a washing machine for their collective projects.

How The Network’s Table Banking Works

Table banking is a financial model where a group of people come together to save small amounts of money regularly, and then provide loans to each other at affordable interest rates. The practice is often organized informally within communities, and no formal banking institution is involved. Members of the group contribute whatever amounts they have as shares or savings, and also a booster amount of their liking, and then they are allowed to borrow from the pooled funds, which in this case is called the revolving fund, with the understanding that they will repay the loan within a set period and usually with a very low interest rate compared to formal financial institutions. If the period lapses and you don’t have the whole amount, you can just pay the interest fee and retain the loan, which you will then pay with light interest at the end of the month. Without a doubt, this gives woman domestic workers some level of financial dignity.

The most outstanding thing about the Dhobi Women’s Network is that they not only use this platform to meet their financial needs, but also use it to advance their agenda as domestic workers; it is a support group as well as a site to educate each other.

The savings accumulated through this process can serve as a safety net for emergencies, such as medical expenses or sudden family crises. Additionally, the ability to borrow at low interest rates enables women to invest in income-generating activities, whether it’s starting a small business, buying tools for their park and their work, or paying school fees. Table banking is then a tool for financial independence, since women are able to break the cycle of poverty and increase their economic self-sufficiency

Enhancing Social Justice Through Table Banking

The Network’s table banking has fostered a strong sense of community. For women who often face isolation and marginalization, groups like the Network provide a space for solidarity, collaboration, and mutual support. The relationships built through these groups allows for the sharing of knowledge, shared emotional support, and empowerment of each other both personally and professionally.

Across Mathare, the table banking groups often hold regular meetings that act as platforms for discussing issues affecting them and the larger community. These meetings give women a voice in decision-making processes, both within the group and in their wider community. This sense of agency is crucial for challenging the social norms and barriers that often restrict women, and gives the women back their dignity.

Sadia Bulle or Stellah Omuka, who are domestic workers in the Network, do not need a ton of documentation, credit history or a steady income to access a loan. Since the groups are based on trust, members are not required to provide formal identification or meet rigid financial criteria, as Tina Mfanga puts in her book, Wamachinga Na Haki Jiji Nchini Tanzania, where she speaks about the foundations that characterize cooperative movements

Overcoming NGOization through Socio-Economic Activities

In the Breaking the Silence on NGOs in Africa, a reflection by the Kenya Organic Intellectuals Network, I reflect on how NGOs reduce grassroots community organizers, such as myself,  to data collectors and mobilizers in their community for stipends at the end of the month. This then alienates these workers from the masses and the real work of organizing their community from the oppressive forms that are creating the different issues that they are documenting. It also creates a situation where community members have to be paid stipends to attend community meetings.

Instead, the table banking method provides an alternative way of organizing and community self-funding. Women meet, do their contributions, take loans, then also discuss their issues as a Network or within their community.

Conclusion

Table banking is becoming an invaluable tool in community empowerment, and more so for women participants. It provides them with access to savings, credit, and a supportive social network that helps them overcome economic hardships and build a better future. Although challenges exist, the benefits of table banking in promoting financial independence, community solidarity, and social economic empowerment cannot be overstated. As a grassroots social economic activity, it is a critical step towards reducing poverty and promoting dignified living in the informal economy. By continuing to support and expand such initiatives, we can ensure that more community organizers will have the independence to become their own agency, slowly by slowly in their own communities.

By Njeri Mwangi (Membership and Campaigns Coordinator at MSJC and member of the Kenya Organic Intellectuals Network)

Categories
African Social Justice Network Papo Reto/Kenya & Brazil Solidarity Solidarity

Solidarity With MST

22/01/2025

Statement of Solidarity With Our MST Comrades in Defense of Dignity and Social Justice


Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC) unequivocally condemns the violent murders and systemic oppression targeting the Landless Workers’ Movement — the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST) in Brazil.

On 10 January, the Olga Benário occupation in Tremembé, São Paulo, was attacked by armed men, who entered the occupation in cars and motorcycles.

They shot indiscriminately at residents, leaving two people dead and six people injured, and among these victims are children and elderly people.

The comrades who have fallen in the struggle are Valdir Nascimento and Gleison Barbosa.

Valdir Nascimento, known as “Valdirzão,” was a prominent figure in the struggle for agroecology and a staunch defender of occupied land. A committed member of MST since 1993, he dedicated his life to fighting illegal land sales and strengthening the peasant movement in the Paraíba Valley.

Gleison Barbosa, known as “Guegue,” was the son of a family living on the occupation. Although he lived in São Paulo, his dedication to the occupation led him to actively contribute to community efforts.

Denis Carvalho remains in an ICU ward after undergoing surgery to remove shrapnel from his head. His condition is critical.

These violent murders and abductions of people who fight for their freedom from oppression and exploitation all over the world, are a resounding rallying call for the working and struggling masses to unite, rise and defend their livelihoods and social justice. The struggle for dignity and social justice transcends borders.

As the Kenyan people continue to fight against the neo-colonial state, land is at the heart of our struggle. We declare our full and unwavering solidarity with the MST and the working people of Brazil. The MST continues to inspire millions by organizing the landless to occupy and defend their land. Their courageous resistance embodies the enduring spirit of hope and collective action in the face of imperialism.

The land belongs to those who work it, and its occupation is a testament to the resilience and determination of the oppressed to defend their dignity and build a just society.

In solidarity,
Gacheke Gachihi
Coordinator, MSJC.
ggacheke@gmail.com
¬+254720318049

Categories
Dhobi Women Network

Dhobi Women Network Launch

The Dhobi Women Network, in partnership with the Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC), convened a pivotal dialogue focusing on the rights and persistent struggles of domestic workers. This event, under the theme “Domestic Work is Work,“ brought together community stakeholders, advocates, and domestic workers to address critical issues within the domestic labor sector. This event took place on October 31, 2024.

The dialogue also marked the official launch of the Dhobi Women Network, a movement dedicated to advancing the rights, dignity, and social well-being of domestic workers in Mathare, Eastleigh, and other informal settlements.

The Dhobi Women Network. 

The Dhobi Women Network is a grassroots initiative that seeks to unify domestic workers by providing a platform for solidarity, advocacy, and community-driven action. Founded by women who have lived experience of the challenges of domestic work, the Network operates as a space where domestic workers can connect, share experiences, and collectively address workplace injustices.

The Network works to:

  • Educate domestic workers about their rights and responsibilities to protect them from exploitation
  • Advocate for fair labor practices, equitable wages, and dignified working conditions
  • Mobilize domestic workers to take collective action, including unionization and the development of support systems
  • Collaborate with other organizations and campaigns to offer legal aid, training, and access to resources

By centering the lived experiences of domestic workers and partnering with stakeholders who champion social justice, the Dhobi Women Network is building a movement that aspires to transform the informal domestic labor sector.

Continuing the Fight for Justice: A Movement’s Launch

The Dhobi Women Network was introduced as a beacon of hope for domestic workers facing entrenched exploitation, unfair wages, and power imbalances. Rooted in the principles of social justice and human rights, the movement seeks to dismantle the systemic barriers that devalue domestic work and create enduring solutions for workers in the most vulnerable sectors.

The launch on October 31 symbolized an unwavering commitment to amplifying the voices of domestic workers, advocating for their rights, and fostering a community of solidarity amid growing economic pressures and workplace injustices.

Unpacking the Struggles of Domestic Workers

During the launch, Balkisa, from Save a Girl Save a Generation, underscored the importance of educating women about their rights and equipping them with practical skills to combat workplace injustices. She reiterated that education and collective power is essential to ensuring domestic workers achieve dignity and fairness in their roles. Save a Girl Save a Generation is an organization that works with the Dhobi Women Network to protect women who face cases of gender-based violence, and they also have a campaign against forced female circumcision.

The Lived Realities of Domestic Workers

The dialogue featured moving testimonies from domestic workers, like Mama Osodo and Mama Wambui, who shared their experiences with unpaid wages, workplace violence, false accusations, and pervasive employer-employee power imbalances. These stories shed light on the structural injustices faced by many workers and reinforced the urgency of building collective action to transform their conditions.

The women have also adopted table banking as a practice to save the little resources they make from their work. Table banking, as a model of social entrepreneurship, has helped foster a sense of financial independence and discipline; it has also provided an accessible and informal platform to save and address urgent and everyday financial needs. 

Collaborative Support from Advocacy Groups

Organizations like HESAID and Maisha Safe Girls reaffirmed their commitment to supporting domestic workers. By providing safe spaces and resources for those facing exploitation, these groups align with the Dhobi Women Network’s mission to create an inclusive and resilient support network.

Unionization as a Tool for Rights Advocacy

The dialogue highlighted the critical role of unionization in advancing workers’ rights. Javan Owala, speaking on behalf of the Kamukunji Member of Parliament, emphasized the need for collective organizing to strengthen legal protections for domestic workers. Unionization was framed as a necessary strategy to address the persistent invisibility of domestic workers in formal labor systems.

Legal Empowerment for Domestic Workers

MSJC’s Legal Empowerment Network provided valuable insights into workers’ legal rights and the tools available to them. Key discussions on these topics included the importance of formal contracts or agreements, adherence to minimum wage standards, and creating equitable working conditions.

The Network affirmed its unwavering commitment to ensuring domestic workers in informal settlements have access to legal and community-based remedies. It also noted that their campaigns must continue championing the ratification of the international labor instruments that protect domestic workers, mainly the ILO C189, which aim to protect the rights of domestic workers. 

Alternative Justice Systems (AJS): Accessible Solutions for Informal Workers

In recognizing the limitations of formal justice systems, the event explored the role of Alternative Justice Systems (AJS) as culturally relevant and accessible mechanisms for resolving workplace grievances. AJS presents an important complement to formal systems, particularly for domestic workers who face barriers to accessing traditional legal avenues.

RESOLUTIONS: Solidarity for Sustained Change

The launch of the Dhobi Women Network marks a pivotal moment in the fight for domestic workers’ rights. The dialogue and launch concluded with a renewed commitment to sustained advocacy and solidarity, calling upon community members, organizations and policymakers to recognize domestic work as essential labor deserving of dignity, protection, and equity.

By centering the voices of domestic workers and mobilizing collective action, the Network aims to dismantle systemic inequalities, and ensure that justice and human rights are accessible to all workers, particularly those in informal settlements like Eastleigh.

The struggle for justice is far from over, but with the resilience of domestic workers and the growing solidarity within movements like Dhobi Women Network, a more equitable future is within reach.

Report by: Vincent Mahugu (Legal Empowerment Network).

 

Categories
Ecological Justice Network

MSJC Ecological Justice Network Documentary

The MSJC Ecological Justice Network in Mathare is growing and growing! Young people are coming together to reclaim their environment after both floods and violent evictions, and this inspiring documentary tells their story as they build together for this purpose.

The youth groups involved set up community parks and safe spaces for kids, while fostering unity among the people of Mathare through activities such as urban farming. This visionary work also allows the youth to work towards food sovereignty, while also earning an income.

The groups involved include Ghetto Farmers, Jungle Green Youth Group, Big Dreams, Team Destiny, Birdland, Yellow Bench, Vision Bearers, Smart Beginners, Twaweza , Excellent, Dhobi Women’s Network Mathare, and others.

Despite the challenges faced, especially those of intimidation and harassment from the local administration and the police, the Network has revived hope among the people that, indeed, a new Mathare where we have dignity is not only possible, but the responsibility of the people.

Enjoy watching!

Categories
Ecological Justice Network Mathare Green Movement

Mashujaa Day at Wangari Maaathai Memorial Park

On October 20, MSJC’s Ecological Justice Network organised a community tree planting event to promote ecological justice, honour victims and survivors of state violence, and in memory of all of those young shujaas martyred by the state during the Occupy protests.

The Occupy memorialisation campaign continues to use different methods to keep the memory of occupy parliament martyrs alive — it is a consistent struggle of memory against forgetting.

This event attracted community members and environmental activists who participated in various activities including tree planting for memory and a reggae music session. Access the community report here:

Mashujaa Tree Planting Day Report Download

Below are some pictures from this powerful day

Categories
Campaign against forced evictions Ecological Justice Network People's Assemblies Solidarity

Flood Solidarity – Asante!

Wakenya and many friends from all over: the floods may have come in a flash but the work of rebuilding takes time and your ongoing solidarity to Mathare residents is greatly appreciated.

Our work now shifts from crisis response towards helping families re-establish homes and lives. This is made much harder as the government enacted demolitions along and beyond Mathare’s riparian area, rendering thousands of households homeless, without any compensation provided to those affected.

All of the donations you have sent in response to this crisis are for the recovery of our people. To date our Mathare Social Justice Centre paybill has received 2,122,107 KES for Mathare flood victims. We have also received tons of food, clothing, bedding, mattresses, diapers, sanitary towels, cooking equipment and much more.

Our last statement, on May 2, 2024, accounted for 1,758,025 KES from our collective Network of Mathare Justice Centres and 313,170 KES from the phone of a MSJC secretariat member. Since then we have continued to run community kitchens in three locations. These kitchens have been running since April 25th, and at their peak could feed up to 1500 people a day.

With the funds and food donations we still have, we will be continuing the community kitchens, and providing cash transfers to 150 households. We will continue to honour and be accountable to all of those who stood with us and sent whatever they could to support these response efforts. You have really emphasised to us that Ubuntu exists: indeed, we are because you are.

In terms of long-term action, we intend to partner on a public interest litigation case on behalf of the residents of Mathare who suffered doubly from the floods and forced evictions. 

We would also like to thank over one hundred individuals and organisations that supported us: we have tried our best to list all of them below, and we apologise for any names we have missed in error.

Thank you for struggling with us, and choosing to defend humanity. We are because you are.

Below and in this letter is a recognition of our supporters:

Flood Solidarity AsanteDownload

Mathare Social Justice Centre

Categories
People's Assemblies Social Justice Centres Solidarity

MSJC Statement on the Illegal Arrest & Detention of #OccupyParliament Protestors

Today, June 18, many Kenyans came out to protest against the punitive Finance Bill of 2024.

While the right to assembly is guaranteed by the Constitution, the police, under the orders of the state, responded to us as though we are in war.

On the streets were grandmothers, sisters, brothers, fathers, siblings who were there to peacefully demand their right to dignity; their right to not have 16% tax on bread, diapers, sanitary towels and even cancer treatment.

Currently, we estimate that over 200 people are being held in Central Police Station, Kasarani Police Station, Muthaiga Police Station and other unknown locations. At Central Police Station, none of the protestors have been booked for any offence, although the police are still detaining them and preventing lawyers from seeing them. Those detained include Njeri Mwangi, a key member of the MSJC Secretariat.

We demand that the Ruto administration immediately release the illegally detained Kenyans who were exercising their sovereignty fully within Article 37 of the constitution. This is the article that states: “every person has the right, peaceably and unarmed, to assemble, to demonstrate, to picket, and to present petitions to public authorities.”

The grandmothers who left Mathare in the morning to join the protest were coming to let the government know that they are tired of sleeping in the ruins of their houses by the polluted Mathare river; they have been there ever since their homes were violently destroyed by the government to “save” them from future floods.

Collectively, we were all coming to say we are tired of being demumanized every day because Ruto wants to be at the service of IMF and World Bank masters.

The people have come out to exercise their sovereign power directly and have demanded that the Finance Bill 2024 be rejected in its entirety. Though we have been met with the state violence of this criminal government, we will not relent in our fight to defend the dignity and rights of our people.

Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC)

Categories
African Social Justice Network Solidarity

Afrikki : A Pan-African People-Centred Social Movement

African movements involved in the Afrikki Network met from the 5th to the 27th of February 2024 in Nairobi. Afrikki is a collective of social movements within Africa and the diaspora, which offers a platform for grassroots people organizations to interact and forge people inspired approaches in tackling local and continental social justice issues.

We want contribute in building Pan-Africanism of a new kind, through international solidarity and promoting popular democracy.

The collective includes various member organizations including:
1. Y’en A Marre of Senegal
2. Filimbi and LUCHA of DRC
3. Balai Citoyen of Burkina Faso
4. Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC)
5. The Tanzania Socialist Forum in Tanzania.
6. Team Gom Sa Bopa in the Gambia.
7. Project South of Atlanta.

Here is the report from the convening. Viva Africa Viva!

THE-AFFRIKI-CONVENING-REPORT-KENYA-DRAFT-21.3.24Download
Categories
Ecological Justice Network People's Assemblies Social Justice Centres Solidarity

Press Statement: Justice For Flood Victims in Mathare, Mukuru, Dandora and Naivasha

The people of Mathare and other informal settlements (such as Mukuru, Kibera, Kayole, Githurai, Kasarani, and all affected areas) strongly condemn the UDA government for the inhumanity and indignity it has accorded the Kenyan people over the past few months.

Under the guise of saving us from nature, this government has destroyed the livelihoods of millions of Kenyans through illegal demolitions in Mathare, Mukuru, Kariobangi, and other informal settlements, without a proper relocation plan or land allocation for victims.

These acts cannot mask the criminal negligence of the UDA government, which had early warnings about the climate crisis, and its failure to act in time has exposed millions of Kenyans to death traps and hopelessness.

While the government extends the budget ceiling for State House and Parliament, hundreds of people are currently held in camps, schools, churches, and community halls that lack basic amenities for daily use. These are facilities with barely, if any, adequate sanitation facilities, and are currently the sites of cholera outbreaks.

We oppose the attempt of the ruling class and the government of Kenya to impose the ecological crisis burden onto the urban poor and the peasants of Kenya. We are already burdened by the weight of an economy that dehumanises us every day.

We expose the criminal negligence of the UDA government and its partners, who are at the service of the IMF and World Bank institutions, since they collectively violate our basic rights as enshrined by Article 43 of the Kenyan Constitution. This is: the right to decent housing, the right to food, the right to the highest attainable standards of healthcare, and the right to clean and accessible water.

The Ecological Justice Network in Mathare honours all the martyrs who have paid a heavy price for the criminal negligence of our government. It is us who have known these martyrs as they have struggled for food, dignity, employment, adequate housing and the right to life for their children. It is still us who find their bodies after the floods, and try and pick up the pieces of their lives in their death. We will not let their demise be in vain!

In memory of Mama Victor and Jacinta Adhiambo, who were our great social justice advocates and human rights defenders, we will continue on their path of demanding dignity and social justice for all.

We know Kenya will one day be liberated from the corrupt and unaccountable regimes of the UDA government, which brought the face of the hustler but is actually a overseer shepherding us to be slaves.

We the people on this eighth day of May 2024 therefore demand:

1. Quality housing for all
2. Compensation for all the martyrs who died during the floods
3. Life with a dignified environment
4. Education for all
5. Land for all the landless.

A government that cannot provide these basic needs has no right to be in power.

We call upon Kenyans to join us for mass action, starting today in Mathare, until we gain our livelihoods and social justice.

Wanjira Wanjiru
0791334684.
Ecological Justice Network, Mathare.

Categories
Ecological Justice Network Social Justice Centres Solidarity

Joint Statement by Mathare Flood Response Organizations

Wakenya and many friends from all over: 

Thank you very much for the solidarity you have given Mathare residents as they seek to recover from the worst flooding they have lived through in the last forty years. 

On the evening of April 24, a deluge of rain led to flooding that decimated many houses along the Mathare and Getathuru rivers. It also led to the deaths of at least 40 community members, including children and a person with a disability. Truly, we are touched by all who have supported our rapid response process: we are grateful for the financial contributions and the donations of necessary items (including dry food, bedding, mattresses, clothes and diapers). We are also grateful to those who came to offer condolence and who offered a hand as we continue to cook for the flood victims.

We especially want to highlight the rapid and effective response by many community groups and individuals in Mathare. So many helped in collecting data for the cash transfers, helping victims to find shelter, finding missing bodies, providing food and medical aid, and receiving other types of support for the victims. 

Currently, there are still efforts to find the bodies of family members and friends, as well as to feed and clothe the hundreds of newly houseless individuals residing in schools, churches and even still sleeping outside even as the rain continues. All of the financial donations you have sent in response to this crisis are being put towards the recovery of our people.

To date, as The Network of Mathare Community Social Justice Centres, we have received 3,129,661 KES for Mathare flood victims. This is how the money has been spent:

1. As of Tuesday, April 30, our collective Mathare Mchanga has received:

1,758,025 KES. So far, this has allowed for 334 cash transfers to verified victims of 3000 KES each (for a total of 1,002,000 KES); we are progressively sending more cash transfers to the households impacted by floods and we will keep you updated on the process. 

2. As of Tuesday, April 30, our paybill had received 1,066,636 KES and 313,170 KES to the phone of a rapid response representative. We used the 313,170 KES for the community kitchen operations that started on Wednesday, April 25—including buying food, firewood, cooking oil, soap, water and hiring a tent to have this kitchen since it is the rainy season. Since then, we have continued to feed breakfast, lunch and dinner daily to a minimum of 500 people. We are now cooking in four different sites in order to reach more of those affected. Our proposal is to use the 1,066,636 KES towards buying school items for affected children, as well as to contribute to funeral costs for affected families and cash transfers. 

We will continue to honour and be accountable to all of those who stood with us and sent whatever they could to support these response efforts. You have really emphasized to us that Ubuntu exists: indeed, we are because you are.

We would also like to send a message to the government: we want to know where the 10 Billion KES to respond to the effects of El Niño went. We would like to remind you that, as the Kenyan Constitution states, “all sovereign power belongs to the people of Kenya.” Therefore, we are determined to make sure that this 10 billion KES is found and goes to all of those who have suffered from the combined effects of state neglect as it intersects with our global climate crisis.

We are extremely proud of how our community has defended the humanity of their people and continue to offer solidarity to each other even in their desperation. Meanwhile, our elected MCA’s and MPs continue to be silent; we will not let them rest.

We invite all to remain in solidarity with our community members in Mathare and other flooded areas; those affected continue to need blankets, mattresses, clothing, sanitary towels, drinking water, tents, food and more.

Above all, we say asanteni sana sana for all of the generosity and humanity that you continue to show for our people. We are because you are.

The Network of Mathare Community Social Justice Centres

Here is the statement for download:

Joint Statement by Mathare Flood Response OrganisationsDownload
Categories
Ecological Justice Network Mothers of Victims & Survivors Network Solidarity

Mama Victor Tribute & Solidarity for Flood Victims

Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC) mourns the sudden demise of Comrade Benna Buluma, fondly known as Mama Victor.

We met Mama Victor in 2017 while documenting the police executions of her two sons, Victor and Bernard. Mama Victor joined our team at MSJC as a victim, and through her passion and commitment emerged a victor; defending young men from police killings and rallying fellow women to demand justice for their loved ones.

Mama Victor was the coordinator of the Mothers of Victims and Survivors Network, and this was a task she undertook diligently. She always rallied comrades to attend court solidarity for members of the Network, and even convened us to go to Embu when Kianjokoma brothers were killed by the police. Mama Victor was a gallant fighter for social justice and human rights. 

Comrades are still in deep shock after retrieving Mama Victor’s body from the Mathare river. Despite her best efforts, she remained trapped in poverty and structural violence, which is now manifested in an ecological crisis that has killed more than 40 people in one night after they were drowned by floods. There was no room to escape even as she breathed her last.

We mourn the unnecessary death of Mama Victor, which could have been prevented by decent housing and proper urban planning.

The Ecological Justice Network has, for the longest time, highlighted this issue of poor systems that greatly endanger the lives of poor people in Mathare, stressing the need for decent housing and dignified lives. 

Mama Victor was a symbol of hope for all striving for dignity, but she also epitomizes the crisis of capitalism in the world today; her sons Victor and Bernard were killed by the police; her daughter Maureen of a short illness, and now Mama Victor has died of the raging floods. This is the violence that poverty exposes us to. 

In honour of Mama Victor, we urge all of us to continue the fight for dignity and social justice. Poverty is a common enemy we fight. “Until everyone is free,” as Pio Gama Pinto said. Truly, Mama Victor’s struggle was redemptive for the people of Mathare who had lost hope to continue fighting for social change.

Hundreds of Mathare residents are still camping outside with their children, homeless, and with no food. The MSJC Ecological Justice Network has pitched a tent in Mathare, where it is providing hot meals and receiving in kind donations.

These include: Mattresses, blankets, food, clothing for both adults and children, books, toys, sanitary towels and diapers for babies and toddlers.

If you would like to donate, please send money to or call Wanjira on: 0791334684.

Or send to the MSJC Paybill number at:

Account: 4060187

Account Name: THE MATHARE SOCIAL JUSTICE CENTRE

Long live the indomitable spirit of Benna Buluma! Long live! Soon dignity for the poor, soon!

Categories
Ecological Justice Network

Mathare River Festival #LetTheRiverFlow

You cannot protect the environment unless you empower people, you inform them, and you help them understand that these resources are their own, that they MUST protect them.

Wangari Maathai

The Mathare People’s assembly, which brought together the Mathare community in their massive elements, resolved that there was an urgent need to focus on sustainable livelihoods.

This was to be achieved through laying emphasis on environmental conservation for ecological justice. The first constituted plan of action was to establish the ‘Let the Rivers Flow’ Campaign. The campaign is aimed at engaging the community through education, to create awareness, strengthen advocacy and influence policy around issues of clean and safe drinking water, transforming Mathare and restoring Mathare River.

The campaign purposes to involve various actors including community members, environmental organisations and relevant agencies to achieve this goal. Achieving this objective would, in turn, aid in generating income for the youth and less privileged, curb social ills like crime, and transform Mathare to a cleaner and greener neighbourhood.

The river has become a dumping site. Effluent waste from neighboring areas flows through our community. Upstream estates dump their waste directly into the river. Also, the Mathare hospital drains waste into the river.

Garbage sites are placed right beside the river, burst sewers flow into the river, and, houses constructed close to the river direct their waste into the river. All this contamination makes Mathare River among the most polluted rivers in Kenya.

The Mathare River is one of the tributaries of Nairobi River. This main river flows as a clean and crystal river from its source in Aberdare forest symbolising a natural source of life. It starts experiencing its pollution troubles once it flows through corporate industries and has exposure to household waste in Nairobi.

The River Festival

The River Festival was a commemoration of the gains and efforts the Mathare Ecological Justice Campaign members have made in conserving the Mathare River and establishing community parks along it.

Rivers have always been a place to bring people together, and for communities to enjoy their shared heritage.

Where rivers flow, life flows.

The festival was attended by more than 1000 participants, including Mathare residents and those from surrounding communities. The attendees included children, young and old community members, and people from all walks of life. It also brought together different ecological formations from other informal settlements and Social Justice Centres.

The festival was a platform to explore art and music in educating, entertaining and creating awareness about the need to conserve the Mathare River as a collective endeavor.

The festival brought together conscious artists to celebrate the history and achievements of the Mathare Ecological Network, and adopted the continuation of the ‘Let the Rivers Flow’ campaign. Furthermore, it demanded that we all must insist on ending pollution, and can bring this awareness to others through education and actionable engagements.

The festival culminated with the launch of the Ecological Justice Network – Mathare. This Network involves the different local environmental groups including at Mathare Social Justice Centre, Mathare Community Park, Mathare Green Park, Ghetto Farmers, Voice of Mathare, Vision Bearers, New Pirates Youth Group and other community organizations from Kiamaiko, Mlango Kubwa and the different parts of Mathare.

In addition, small businesses were able to showcase and sell their merchandise, and we did this to support the sustainability of ecological businesses initiatives in Mathare. 

So far, there is an evident rise of youth in Mathare who clean the river not because it is their sole mandate, but as a sustained campaign to fight for social change, since they are conscious of the interrelation between the ecological crisis and struggle for social justice.

The Ecological Justice Network

The Ecological Justice Network in Mathare is part of the Ecological Justice Movement in Nairobi. It is a consortium of four organisations: Mathare Social Justice Centre, Mathare Community Park, Mathare Green Park and Ghetto Farmers. The Ecological Justice Network is a pool of ecological movements and initiatives established within Nairobi, each with a specific campaign geared towards ecological sustainability.

The Ecological Justice Network in Mathare has been a pillar for the establishment of more ecological networks in Nairobi, and especially within the informal settlements that are faced with the harmful and continuous effects of environmental pollution from the corporates and large industries surrounding them. This being the case, the Network has engaged in case study forums to analyse the sources of pollution, specifically the effluent and affluent discharges along the Mathare River.

The results have influenced the establishment of the Network, which is aimed at transforming Mathare and the people living in Mathare.

We want to move from a “slum” to an environmentally conscious society. Our ecological campaigns have impacted the community in various ways, including through crime reduction and the reduction of social ills like state violations, which mostly affect unemployed young people.

The establishment of community parks through planting trees along the river has provided a safe haven for children to play. It has also provided space for the establishment of social spaces like libraries, GBV referral centres and community meeting spaces.

These community parks have acted as avenues for community organising, and especially for conservation of the environment. The spaces have also provided self-employment for young people through sustainable economic projects like animal rearing, tree nursery beds and artwork. It is the hope of the Network that ecological sustainability becomes a question of social justice.

Launch of the Ecological Justice Network – Mathare

Gacheke Gachihi, the coordinator of Mathare Social Justice Centre, led the celebration of the launch of the Ecological Justice Network in Mathare.

Achievements, Resolutions & Action Plan of the Network

  • Launching the Ecological Justice Network – Mathare.
  • Intensify ecological justice activities including: tree planting, establishing tree nurseries, monthly clean-ups and art for awareness creation.
  • Unify ecological campaigns and strengthen ecological justice networks in other parts of Nairobi.
  • Adoption of the ‘Let the Rivers Flow’ campaign as a path towards the restoration of Mathare River.

See some pictures from The River Festival below!

Categories
anti-capitalism Campaign Against Drugs & Crime Mathare Green Movement People's Assemblies Social Justice Centres Solidarity

The Mathare People’s Assembly

The Mathare Local People’s assembly was convened at the Mathare People’s Park, and brought together community members and actors from across our struggles to identify various societal issues we are facing.

The Mathare People’s park is a transformed green space that was initially a garbage site, and which now hosts the Ukombozi Library, a children’s playing space, and a community park that offers the community food and a serene environment. It has also transformed young people from drug use and crime, and offered a sustainable form of economic livelihood through activities such as animal rearing and other methods of farming.  

Our assembly was influenced by the urgency to explore an inclusive alternative model that involves the community in addressing its challenges.

For a while, various societies have seemed to confront these challenges at an organizational or an individual level. The objective of the local assembly was to transform the culture of personal alienated approaches which have proven to be ineffective. The assembly also wanted to further grassroots democracy and power to the people.

Mathare happens to be one of the largest informal settlements in Nairobi, and is suffering from a myriad of social problems including: widespread poverty, lack of basic commodities, crime and chronic unemployment. All of these factors also lead to other grave problems.

The assembly brought 100 participants drawn from the six wards in Mathare, including Kiamaiko, Mlango Kubwa, Mabatini, Kiamaiko, Ngei and 3C.

The participants included children, local community groups, ecological justice organizations, students and elders. Among the grassroots organizations present were the Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC), Ghetto Farmers, and Green Park and Mathare Community Park members.

Other participants who joined the discussions emanated from the different social movements in Nairobi.

After the introduction of the local assembly’s concept, the participants engaged in a general analysis of the Mathare society; the historical injustices and the current political and social conditions. Thereafter, the members joined the various thematic groups influenced and adopted by the assembly. These are:  

  1. The Ecological and Political Committee 
  2. The Drugs and Crime Committee 
  3. The Waste Management Committee
  4. The Water & Sanitation Committee

The thematic groups appointed a moderator and secretary, collectively examined the situation, and generated a list of possible solutions to explore. Below are the results from the committees:

Water and Sanitation Committee

 Challenges highlighted include:

  • The rationing and diversion of water in areas like Mlango Kubwa where water is diverted to Eastleigh 
  • Water-borne diseases
  • Poor healthcare infrastructure  
  • Effluent and affluent discharges: Mathare Hospital, for example, was seen to emit its waste directly into the river. Also, most of Eastleigh waste is poured directly into the river 
  • Corruption and water cartels 
  • Leaking sewers 
  • Poor waste disposal methods 
  • Poor housing, and people are constructing homes on the river.  

Proposed way forward

  • Participate in public participation sessions e.g. budget making processes 
  • Develop petitions to conduct an inquiry on water institutions in Mathare 
  • Policy development 
  • Creating awareness through community dialogues  
  • Mapping of polluters 
  • Consistent stakeholders meetings 

Waste Management Committee

 Challenges highlighted include:

  • Poor waste disposal 
  • Lack of awareness on waste management strategies  
  • Lack of collaborations and coordination between stakeholders in waste management  
  • Government lacked policies, incentives on waste management 

Proposed solutions

  • Creating waste management awareness programs 
  • Focus on existing networks to build and strengthen ecological network  
  • Establish local waste management plans and strategies 
  • Include children in waste management projects 

Drugs and Crime Commitee

Challenges highlighted include:

  • Poverty which leads to crime, drug abuse
  • Unemployment
  • Addiction 

Solutions proposed

  • Organize campaigns and seminars against drugs and crime 
  • Involvement of different stakeholders in the campaign against drugs and crime 
  • Establish local committees to fight against drugs and crime 
  • Establish learning facilities for children, like local libraries 
  • Creating of co-curriculum activities such as sports and art

Ecological and Political Committee

Challenges highlighted include:

  • Existing ecological injustices and pollution.
  • State violence including: 
    1. Harassment. 
    1. Extra-judicial executions. 
    1. Land grabbing. 
    1. High level of unemployment leading to crime  
  • Lack of political accountability. 
  • Existing gaps in policy development 

Solutions and way forward

  • Establish sustainable sources for economic activity for the youth 
  • Establish public assemblies as institutions to generate solutions for local problems  
  • Intensify political education in the parks and in community centres 

Proposed collective way forward

  1. Establish the Mathare Ecological Justice Network, involving various community parks, which will in turn aid in: 
    • Creating a sustainable base for young people through economic generating activities like farming and seed nurseries 
    • Engage more children in the parks — perhaps an adopt a tree program
    • Establish more green spaces to transform the local ecological situation and to act as spaces for community organising
    • Provide more safe spaces like art centers, community libraries and community retreat centres 
    • Curb land grabbing, encroachment and pollution of the Mathare River; #LetTheRiversFlowCampaign 
  2. Harmonise a collective ecological justice campaign by establishing ecological justice networks in the various informal settlements 
  3. Popularise local people’s assemblies as avenues to generate solutions for the peoples’ problems. Including in:  
    • Kayole. 
    • Githurai. 
    • Ngong. 
  4. Establish exchange sessions with the Indigenous People’s Assemblies and existing assemblies in Italy, Britain and Scotland. 
  5. Organise more workshops and seminars at the grassroots to discuss the creation of local people’s assemblies 
  6. Creating alternatives through bicycles lanes along Nairobi River, from Michuki Park to Ruai 
  7. Create a secretariat to follow up on the resolutions and a guide for implementation 

Report by: Wavinya Kavinya and Waringa Wahome

Categories
Social Justice Centres

Community Groups Registration Act (2022) — Grassroots Deliberations

There has been concern from many grassroots groups about the oversight and governance of community-based organizations. The plight has since been crystalized by the enactment of the Community Based Registration Act No. 30 of 2022.

The legislation introduces regulations pertaining to community-based organisations’ registration, administration and financial provisions. 

Most CBOs are established within the community and are at the forefront in responding to societal needs. Before the Community Groups Registration Act, many community organisations were registered with few procedural requirements, allowing room for their effectiveness and the adoption of simple organisational models and structures.

On 15th August 2023, Mathare Social Justice Centre received a letter from the Mathare Sub-CountySocial Development Officer (SCSD/MAT/SHG/8/2023(007). The letter in part reads: “it has been noted by the Sub-County Social Development officer that your activities are more nurturing and protecting the fundamental Human Rights of the individuals, and families of the Mathare Community which is not in line with our community registration activities as per our new Community Groups Registration Act, No. 30 of 2022. We therefore as an office request your organisation to amend its group objectives so that they can be in line with our Act…”

On 19th September, a month after we received this letter, MSJC organized a grassroots workshop to address the Act’s attempts to undermine the Constitution and grassroots democracy, by interfering with the autonomy of community-based organizations.

The workshop was attended by 20 participants and contributors, including Prof Kivutha Kibwana, a constitutional lawyer and former Governor of Makueni County, and Charles Maina formerly of the International Justice Mission (IJM). They, notably, advised us on the constitutional and legislative framework that governs the new Act.

Other participants were the District County Commissioner and Sub-County Social Development Office represented by Chief Mugo, Mabatini Ward, the membership of the Social Justice Centers – Nairobi Chapter (which included Mathare Social Justice Centre, Kayole Social Justice Center, Githurai Social Justice Center, The Social Justice Travelling Theater, Mathare Social Justice Centers Network, Kiamaiko Social Justice Centre, Ghetto Foundation and  Ruaraka Social Justice Centre), Missing Voices and other legal advisers.

The participants went through the history of social justice centers and their formation process, looking into case studies from Mathare Social Justice Centre and Kayole Community Justice Center.

Mathare Social Justice Centre was registered in 2015 as a space to document human rights violations that were rampant around Mathare during that period. The Mathare Social Justice Centre was started in 2014, three years after the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010.

It was noted that during the process of registration, the Office of Social Development had disapproved the registration of the name “Mathare Social Justice Centre,” on account of the “social justice” character of the organisation, even while MSJC had paid registration fee. This was contrary to Article 10 (2) (b) of the Constitution which provides that; “The national values and principles of governance include: – human dignity, equity, social justice, inclusiveness, equality, human rights, non-discrimination and protection of the marginalized.”

Kayole Community Justice Center noted that they had great challenges with registration. They share that the Social Development Officer in Kayole denied them registration, and were only registered after Noordin Haji, the then Director of Criminal Investigations intervened after attending the launch of the centre. The organisation does not appear in the register of community based organisations despite them having a valid certificate of operation.

Participants reflected on the deregistration of Clarion, an NGO, which operated in the ‘90s on account of its human rights activities and protection of democratic spaces in Kenya. 

The Social Justice Movement was reflected on as a mass-based social movement whose duty is to safeguard grassroots democracy and protect the values and spirit of the Constitution. It was noted that the passing of the Act without public participation, and the letter sent to Mathare Social Justice Centre, was a direct attack on grassroots democracy and exposed the deliberate shrinking of civic spaces in our country.

Participants highlighted other legislations such as the Public Order Act and the NGO Act of 1990 that continue to muzzle the spirit and space of human rights and democracy in Kenya.

The discussions were then organised into different groups to allow the participants to interact with the contents of the Act intensively. This involved a thorough perusal of the Act; identifying constitutional contraventions and opportunities.

It was noted that there are now 21 registered social justice centres in Nairobi, and that people face numerous frustrations at the Social Development Office when seeking registration; there are also other Social Justice Centres which are pending registration, some of which the Social Development Office has denied registration. These are, for example, Mau Mau Haki Centre and the Social Justice Centers Travelling Theatre.

Deliberation points to note:

  1. Participants noted that before the legislation came into effect, there was no regulatory framework under which community-based organisations were registered. The new law is found to be restrictive as far as it limits fundamental human rights including the right of association. The justice centres have operated since 2015, and there has never been a complaint that their actions were in contravention of the Constitution or any law.
  • The Act contravened Article 1 of the constitution which provides: “all sovereign power belongs to the people of Kenya and shall be exercised only in accordance with this constitution.”Grassroots organisations form the collective voice at the grassroots, and denying people the right to organise at a grassroots level is infringing on the sovereignty of the people of Kenya. The Act fails to acknowledge the supremacy of the Constitution by contradicting its values.
  • The Act contravenes Article 10 (2) (a) of the Constitution, which states that “The national values and principles of governance include: – patriotism, national unity, sharing and devolution of power, the rule of law, democracy and participation of the people.”
  • The Act contravenes the values of democracy and grassroots organisation; community was not involved in any deliberation of it.
  • Further, Article 186 (2) of the Constitution, read along with the fourth Schedule – Part 2(14), clearly provides for the functions and powers of national and county government. Part 2 (14) of the fourth schedule reads; “the functions and powers of the County are; ensuring and coordinating the participation of the communities and locations in governance at the local level and assisting communities and locations to develop the administrative capacity for the effective exercise of the functions and powers and participation in governance at the local level.”
  • Participants noted that all community activities cannot be divorced from the aspiration to promote social justice and the realization of the potential of all human beings. The essence of registering a community-based organization is that the community is aware of its priority issues and can develop its solutions through programs that intimately involve the whole community. Through community-based organizations, the community can participate in governance at the local level.

Violation of Article 19 of the Constitution

  • Participants did an analysis of Article 19 which provides that the Rights and fundamental freedoms provided for under the Bill of Rights are inherent and inalienable rights and freedoms.
  • Article 19 (2) provides: “The Bill of Rights is an integral part of Kenya’s democratic state and is the framework for social, economic and cultural policies.” It further provides that “the purpose of recognizing and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms is to preserve the dignity of individuals and communities and to promote social justice and the realization of the potential of all human beings.”
  • It was noted that the activities of a CBO cannot merely be limited to economic rights (empowerment) devoid of social, political and cultural rights. Participants noted that civil and political rights are indivisible. Article 43 of the Constitution provides for social and economic rights, which are reinforced by Article 38 that provides for political rights and Article 36 which provides for the freedom of association.
  • That the Director of Social Development has the sole authority to decide who forms a special interest group was also identified as alarming.
  • There was emphasis on Article 24 which provides: “a right or fundamental freedom shall not be limited except by law, and then only to the extent that the limitation is reasonable and justifiable in an open and democratic society based on human dignity, equality and freedom, taking into account all relevant factors including the relation between the limitation and its purpose and whether there are less restrictive means to achieve the purpose.”

Violation of Article 36 of the Constitution

  1. Violation of Article 36 of the Constitution provides for the right of every person to associate, and which includes the right to join and or participate in the activities of an association of any kind. Such an association must be a voluntary association. Members noted that the social justice centres accept membership of voluntary individuals who live, work and interact with the realities of their communities. As such, Mathare Social Justice Centre, and all social justice organisations, are constitutionally permitted to exist as community based organisations based on the fact that they involve members of the community and exercise their mandate within the Mathare community in accordance with the laws and policies of the Republic of Kenya.

Ambiguity of the Act

  • It was noted that the Act was ambiguous in so far as it did not specify the ministry responsible for enforcing and overseeing the implementation of the Act.
  • The Act provides for the Office of the Director, which shall be an office in the public service. It also provides for the Social Development Office, which is an office under the ministry responsible for social development, which is the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection.
  • The Act does not provide for a transition clause to guide the CBOs that were registered before the Act. There was a lack of a coherent policy guiding the registration of community based organisation then, which would interfere with the process of interpretation of and reference to the new law.
  • Participants noted that most community-based organisations, whose objective is human rights oriented, have experienced similar procedural challenges in recent times with the concerned registration institutions
  • Participants challenged the monarchical status of the Director of Social Development as provided for by Section 3 of the Act.
  • The financial provisions as stated in the Act are unclear and restrictive of community organizing.
  • The definition of civil society organisations deliberately limits how a CBO can interact and relate with other organisations.

Overall, participants agreed that the legislation has made the mistake of over-regulation, which limits the rights and freedom of individuals and communities. They agreed that CBO’s should have a policy of self-regulation in order for all Kenyans to participate in governance at the local and community level. After all, these organisations exist to do what the government has failed to do at the grassroots.

In the definition of a community group, one participant posed a question: when the Constitution provides for social and political rights and sovereign people organise and debate around those issues, are they political?

Therefore, the activities proposed by the CBO registration forms have not been constitutionally developed. This then requires a review process on the development and implementation of the policy itself. 

What is to be done?

The Community Registration Act cannot exist without scrutiny; there should be discussion of the issues raised above about its legality and constitutionalism.

Participants resolved that, to address these key issues, the strategy and tactics required would be both short and long-term and would be applied in a two-line strategy: the legal strategy and the creation of an alternative leadership mechanism. The workshop then formed two committees to oversee the process. The committees are: 1) the legal committee and 2) committee against the shrinking of civic and democratic spaces.

Short Term Response

  1. A response letter from the Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC) was to be sent to the Sub County Office of Social Development.
  2. Committees were to map out other community based organisations whose registration was pending and those denied registration on account of human rights objectives.
  3. There was a need to have a collective response to the Sub-County Social Development Office to understand which objectives and activities of Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC) are not in accordance with the Act, and which specific sections of the Act that are contravened by our activities.
  4. The Social Justice Centre Working Group was to convene meetings at the community level to created awareness about the   Community Groups Registration Act.

Long Term Response

  1. File a constitutional petition challenging the legality and constitutionality of the Act and its provisions.
  2. Map strategic collaborations and partnerships, and hold frequent discussions on policies that affect organisations in the community.

Report prepared by Waringa Wahome, coordinator of the MSJC Legal Empowerment Network

Categories
People's Assemblies Social Justice Centres

Tackling Social Injustice with People’s Assemblies?

A Report of the People’s Assemblies Forum held in the Mathare Social Justice Centre’s Creative Hub on August 11, 2023

Why People’s Assemblies?

The people’s assemblies arise from the need of the people to administer and generate solutions to the problems ailing their society. The concept is a people’s driven approach towards creating grassroots strength, solidarity and democracy from a point of popular power to a pool of global solidarity. The assemblies might take different organizational and practical models in diverse communities and in various organizations, making it a viable model for decision making, identifying challenges and building a collective spirit in confronting the social, economic and political issues that exist.

Purpose of the Forum

The people’s assembly forum held in Mathare was an avenue to explore, discuss and generate action points to form, design and structure local, citizen and people’s assemblies in Mathare and other areas within Nairobi. The existing social movements, local groups and institutions are a fundamental element in steering the initial processes. The forum thus drew participants from various established local groups, social movements and members of the community, to examine and deliberate on the model and whether and how it fits into their organizational framework.

Participants in the Forum

The forum targeted 30 participants representing organizations, local groups and members of the community. Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC) is one of the social movements organizing around accessing social justice in Mathare and broadly in the whole country. It has worked in close collaboration with other Social Justice Centres in Nairobi, some of which were present at the forum. They include: Githurai, Kayole, Mukuru, and Kasarani Social Justice Centers. Other organizations included the organs of the social justice movement: The Social Justice Centre’s Travelling Theater, The Ecological Justice Network, The Revolutionary Socialist League, The Communist Party of Kenya, the Young Communist League, and Shantit-Mathare (a youth-led group). This was in collaboration with women led assemblies, Grassroots to Global and assemblies from Scotland.

History of Assemblies in Kenya

To make sure the participants knew the full potential of the forum, the participants went through the history of the assemblies in Kenya. With a case study and introduction of Bunge, the Peoples Parliament. This is an assembly’s model that formulated and demanded major social and political reform processes in the history of Kenya. The setup was said to be an open conversation in Jeevanjee Park, a green space in Nairobi where people debated ideas, invoked public participation, and agreed on the best direct action strategies to apply to the imminent needs of the society. Some of the impacts included leading the campaign against the high cost of Unga (flour). There were no doubts that the initiative saw through important social impacts and constitutional gains in Kenya. This was the model that led to the inception of the social justice factor and the formation of the Social Justice Centres. The objectives were targeted towards influencing citizen-led processes and inspiring the spirit of direct-action by local people. There was visible insistence on the need and urgency to build power from below, to protect our democratic gains, and advance local, people-led action.

Different Types of Assemblies

The participants went through the different types of local assemblies as being: 1) The People’s Assembly; 2) The Citizen Assembly; 3) The Delegate Assembly.

They further explored the formations, structure and design of the various types of assemblies, the impact and the levels of interactions in each of the assemblies. Assemblies serve as an alternative to the fragmentation and compromise of individual organizations. Organizations are embedded in the actions by the people. The participants delved into the impact and organization of the past and contemporary assemblies in Kenya and internationally with a case study of the East African women-led assemblies (including the Ogiek, the Sengwer and many other communities), which are organizing assemblies around the land question, and have successfully made challenges and won in the African Court of Justice. The forum went further to assess the questions of land in the Democratic Republic of Congo, political conditions in Uganda, and the assemblies in Scotland. The activities included practical learning experiences such as group discussions and site visit to the Mathare People’s Park. An ecological justice park reclaimed along the Mathare River. For an expanded version of the presentation given on all this, please see here.

Local assemblies are among the alternatives towards building a pool of popular power from below. There exist countless hurdles within our individual organizations and in communities that can be flattened through a collective approach such as people’s assemblies. People’s parliaments envision and design how our society should look, and we see our assemblies as reclaiming and building on that tradition.

Focus of Deliberations

  1. Building Local Assemblies

The participants saw the process towards the formation of the local assemblies as best to commence from an organizational level. Thereafter, identifying the issues for diagnosis and planning the local assemblies. The issues for the assemblies to focus on were to begin from the direct lived experiences affecting local people. In this case, issues of pollution and environmental degradation appeared to be the primary questions at play. This being agreeable, artistic and creative organizing, like the community theatre, were seen as reliable ways of communicating complex ideas and building broader engagement. This was to be achieved through organizing consistent, structured meetings building towards the assembly, developing clear internal structures (e.g. working groups to look at different aspects of the process, clear and transparent internal decision making processes etc), organizing dialogues with different actors, and outreach sessions to popularize the assembly.  The organizations were to guide through the process, in effect forming the basis of a steering group with accountability to the process and all those involved in it.

2. Building National Assemblies

The path to building national assemblies to discuss national matters, was to come from the various local assemblies organized in community spaces. The local assemblies will then project their ideas through to the national assembly. This would require utmost consistency, vibrancy, commitment and a resounding strengthening of our ties with the local and national issues. It would then be important to agree on a structure to apply to that, which will be the subject of ongoing popular education through community theatre and community dialogues, which can feed into a broader conversation about the kind of national assembly Kenya needs and wants.

3. Challenges

In achieving this, various issues to handle and prioritize in the planning of assemblies were highlighted. Many of these challenges impact much more than just the assemblies, but we present them here, together, with some suggestions on how their impact can be addressed within the planning and running of the assemblies themselves:

The Ecological Crisis : This is an ongoing challenge for all of us, but it impacts, particularly, those already dealing with high levels of poverty and social alienation. In relation to the assemblies, we see the need to be able to provide sheltered spaces for the assemblies to happen within and will focus on this in our fundraising efforts..
Extrajudicial Executions : Again, this is an ongoing challenge, and could potentially keep people away from assemblies. We will address this to the extent we can by ensuring a strong communications strategy, which attempts to keep the assemblies in the public eye and by building a network of other communities also holding assemblies, as a way of building mutual care and additional public visibility. We will also self-document the assembly process and have a working group dedicated to security.
High Cost of Living : This is one of the issues that the assembly may address directly, but it also impacts on whether people will engage with the assembly. We can potentially address this by fundraising to provide food for those who attend and also potentially include workshops on mutual aid as satellites to the main assembly.
Crime and Unemployment : The intention of the assemblies is to find shared solutions to the root causes of many issues, including crime and unemployment. We will attempt to either address these directly as subjects within the assembly, or, as above, create satellite workshops giving people space to think through and collectively address these issues alongside it.
Tribalism : Tribalism has become highly politicized, so it’s vital that we come to a shared understanding on how the assemblies will approach it. While accepting the cultural importance of identity, we see the assemblies as operating underneath this, at the level of our shared, human interests and will develop our communications strategy along these lines.
Lack of Water : We will fundraise to ensure we can provide clean drinking water for those attending the assemblies.
Lack of Communication : As is clear from the above, a strong communication policy will be essential to the success of the assemblies. This will focus, not only internally on those living in the area each assembly is focusing on, but also externally, towards the wider public and (for the national process) internationally. It is essential that we develop our own clear strategy for this, building as much as we can on personal relationships of trust, since mainstream and social media are largely captured and are likely to be used to work against the assembly process.
Corruption : Again, this is an issue that may be core to the question the assemblies are directly addressing. We will want our process to be as clean, clear and transparent as possible and to ensure that good internal communications can identify and report on any attempts to unfairly influence the process.

Challenges might arise from groups and individuals seeking to use such an assembly process to advance their own interests, and from a lack of communication between those engaged in advancing the process. This requires us to build a strong shared commitment to addressing social injustice, and to commit to building the structures to overcome injustice and division. 

Resolutions

1. Planning of the first People’s Assembly in Mathare, in one of the community sites, around the issues of ecological justice and state violence.

2. The need to popularize Local Assemblies towards building the National Assembly.

3. The importance of utilizing community spaces, such as green spaces, to protect and advance grassroots democracy.

4. The urgency to unify organizations within our communities and build unified approaches to local assemblies towards addressing various challenges.

Report prepared and compiled by the coordinating committee: Gacheke Gachihi: Mathare Social Justice Centre; Kinuthia Ndung’u: Communist Party of Kenya; Justin Kendrick: Scotland People’s Assembly; Eva Schonveld: Grassroots to Global.

Moderators: Njeri Mwangi: Mathare Social Justice Centre; Eva Schonveld: Grassroots to Global. 

Categories
Campaign Against Drugs & Crime Dada Talks GBV Campaign Women in Social Justice Centres

Women’s Football Against Gender Based Violence

Women Against Gender Based Violence is an initiative of the SGBV Campaign at Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC), in collaboration with grassroots organizations’ advocating against gender based violence and drugs and crime in Mathare. Mathare is one of the largest informal settlements in Nairobi, with almost 300,000 inhabitants in population, the majority of whom are youth. The rate of gender based violence related cases has been growing in the post-covid period.

Kenya has undergone slow progress in realizing an end to gender based violence and inequalities. However, the process has witnessed obstacles and hurdles due to the societal differences that exist within our various communities. Most of the informal settlements in Nairobi are prone to social injustices and gender related violence, which is intricately connected to the social factors at play.

The majority of the population in Mathare lives under the constant challenge of poverty, thus making them prone to abuse and exploitation. Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC) has documented and championed for social justice against sexual violence and other human rights abuses such as rape, domestic violence and defilement. Most of the violations happen from the normalization of the violence within the community, and the exposure of children and young people to the harsh environment has contributed to the increasing rates of gender based violence within Mathare.

On Thursday August 17th, 2023, the “End Gender Based Violences and Sexual Harassment Tournament” was aimed at creating a platform for interaction, exchange and advocacy against the culture of the normalization of gender based injustices. The initiative was inspired by the need to interlink social injustices to all spheres affecting women including their livelihoods and empowerment. Therefore we must prioritise the creation of safe spaces and an environment for the people. The tournament brought various individuals and organizations, which permitted a rich opportunity for robust discussions, healing and advancing to the next step towards realizing an end to gender based violence in Mathare.

The tournament targeted the young mothers who mostly got pregnant at a tender teenage period. Some of whom are referred to as MSJC teen moms. Other objectives of the tournament included the generation of mechanisms to influence policy. Gender based violence cases seem to take a longer period to be processed or acted upon. Members of the community, on the other end, fail to understand or know the what to do when faced with cases of this nature. Therefore, it was important to create awareness of the existing policies, and enable an environment to discuss the challenges in addressing these grave situations. The tournament was held at the Austin Grounds in Mathare with various teams and participants from the Mathare community. It was a collaboration of the Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC) and the Coalition of Grassroots Human Rights Defenders. Other centres and committees present included the Githurai Social Justice Centre, Kasarani Social Justice Centre and the Ecological Justice Movement.

MSJC teen moms is a support group comprising of young women aged between 13yrs – 19yrs in Mathare. The team’s works towards community transformation, and fighting the systemic violence against women and young girls in Mathare. They also want to find practical means of sustaining themselves through art for social justice. The group is roughly 30 teenage moms from Mathare, who are actively engaged in community initiatives.

On, Thursday, August 17th, 2023, the MSJC teenage moms support group held a match against the CGHRD young mothers in the “End Gender Based Violence & Sexual Harassment Tournament.” Recently, there has been an observable rise in the number of cases of sexual and gender based violence against teenagers aged between 15-19 years. Most of the cases are perpetrated people close to the victims. From family members to friends, and people they know. After the crude encounter with the injustice, most victims tend to isolate themselves from the community and general reality.

The tournament’s main objective was to create awareness on the
fight towards ending these kinds of violences in Mathare as a whole. It also served as a psychosocial support extension for teen moms. The tournament was well attended by the members of the community, and especially men who were the target. After the
tournament, we had an interactive dialogue on the same theme that involved different actors and members of the community. The forum’s purpose was to stir a discussion on the way forward and the next action points. It was also meant to instigate a debate and offer a platform for community assessment and deliberation on issues related to gender relations and the increased rate of gender violence.

As a guide to the action plan, the participants proposed the following:

  1. Organizing monthly football tournaments to create awareness and intensify advocacy against gender based violence.
  2. Consistent documentation and referral of gender based violences. This needs an active gender based violence desk in specific zones, and during the tournaments.
  3. Collective design of mechanisms to promote psychosocial support among victims and survivors of gender based violence.
  4. Adopt creative modes like art, sports and theatre to sensitize and advocate against gender based violence.
  5. Consistent reflection, analysis and proposal of relevant policy.
  6. The creation of a collective framework in the fight against gender based violence.
  7. A campaign on drugs and crime in Mathare and other informal settlements.

More pictures from the tournament are below:

Categories
EJE Campaign Elections Mothers of Victims & Survivors Network Police Brutality

The Untold Terror of Police Violence during Maandamano

The protests that began on March 20th this year left behind a trail of terror. But most of the damage and loss experienced in the informal settlements has not been fully accounted for. The reasons for under-reporting are that most of the victims fear threats from authorities: being arrested, forcefully disappeared or killed. Also, they know that it will be a long painful road to justice — if they ever get it.

At MSJC we have been working to document these violences since the protests began in March. In a brief report we highlight some of the cases we have been following up on since early this year. These include the death of a two month old and a 13 year old: from tear gas and police bullets respectively.

None of these protests were witnessed in the leafy suburbs where the selfish politicians from both divides reside. None of their children lay in the cold slabs of the morgue with poor parents unable to give them decent burials. Our communities continue to be the collateral of their selfishness, but we won’t stop demanding and working towards justice.

Here is a link to the report:

MSJC Maandamano ReportDownload

Below are some cases we are following up on:

Documentation

NameNature of Case
Victor Juma, 24Arrested while confronting the police who threw teargas into his house, which affected his 2 year old daughter who fainted
Jeremiah Mwengi, 13Shot in the back of the head and died while being taken to Kenyatta hospital
Godwin Omondi Omwandi, 40Shot in the leg during the protests
Kevin Omondi, 16Shot in his private parts
Nijer Oduor, 10Three fingers chopped off by an unknown object thrown by the police
Caleb Noah, 31Shot in the leg from behind while going to pick his child from school
Loise Akinyi, 45Bullet scratch on left arm
Isaac Odhiambo, 19Hit and wounded on the head by a teargas canister 
1)Cornel Fuka, 72)Paul Mathius, 63)Sarah Fridah, 104)Fabrigas Zami, 2 monthsA tear gas canister was thrown inside the house where their parents had hid them for safety. The tear gas choked and burned them.
Francis Oponde, 34Injured on both legs by a tear gas canister
Annette Achewa, 14Was shot in the back of her shoulder
Isaac Adhiambo, 19Was cut deeply on the head by a tear gas canister 
Valentine Wairimu, 2 monthsShe was affected when tear gas was thrown on the roof of their house; she became unconscious. Valentine
died at Brother Andre hospital while receiving first aid.
Alfred Odongo Obura (40) and four othersThey are all accused of stealing gas cylinders from Shell Petrol Station on Juja Road. They are at Industrial Area Prison
since they didn’t have the 400k bond
requested by the court. The hearing is
in October.
    Categories
    Campaign Against Drugs & Crime

    Campaign against drugs & crime

    By Waringa Wahome

    Our local community forum, which was held on Friday, June 2nd, involved strategic deliberations aimed at action against drugs and crime in Mathare. It was convened by the Campaign Against Drugs and Crime of Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC), and in partnership with Haki Africa. The meeting was attended by 44 people, among them youth and the elderly from the different sectors; local traders, business people, persons in recovery from drugs and crime, youth group members, community based organizations, local village elders and community members. The main objectives of the forum was to analyse and reflect on drugs and substance abuse. Above all to: (1) Identify factors that drive young people to drugs; (2) Understand the linkage between, drugs, crime and violence; (3) Examine the role that poverty plays in driving young people to drugs; (4) Evaluate and agree on what is to be done going forward. 

    In April 2022, Lucy Wambui, our member and local convenor of the Mothers of Victims and Survivors Network, wrote

    We can see that the government also has a role to play, they create and sustain this negative environment. When I interacted with most youths here in Mathare, I understood why the Kenyan authorities and young men in the slums play a cat and mouse game: they are like water and oil, they can never mix. According to most youths in the area, they say that instead of police officers maintaining law and order and protecting life, they make crime increase. The police are the ones who provide guns to them to go and commit crimes, and police get money from drug dens, ensuring that drugs are always sold where poor people can see them, where poor people live. At the same time, the police are arresting youths daily using fabricated charges, and some end up being disappeared and others are killed by police. This makes youths get into crime and use drugs because they have given up on life, and they don’t know who will be next in the hands of a killer cop. 

    From this article, it was evident that drugs are intended to make young people in Mathare blind to the harsh realities here, and to accept the hardships caused by poverty and structural violence. In Mathare, the most thriving businesses are selling chang’aa (a locally home-distilled brew considered to be an illegal brew) and the sale of hard drugs. Communities such as Colombia, Nigeria, Kosovo, Bondeni, Mathare 3A and 3C, and Mabatini in Mathare, are mostly associated with chang’aa and/or hard drugs. These have been the most violent stricken areas in Mathare over time and in the recent skirmishes. The young people, some in their late teens, are allegedly the most involved in drugs and consequently in crime. These areas are also where most young people killed by the notorious killer cops come from.

    MSJC’s membership set the scene at the meeting and introduced the campaign. The Campaign Against Drugs and Crime was birthed as an intersectional outcome of our other eight campaigns, and it aims to monitor and participate in the fight against drugs, crime, violence, extrajudicial killings and related issues. 

    The community best understands the effect of drugs, crime and violence. The sale of hard drugs in Mathare exists under very unclear circumstances: sale, consumption and trafficking has been conducted in so much openness but still too much opaqueness. It seems to also thrive in extensive conditions of hopelessness, fear and violence. One attendee at the meeting, who happened to be a community leader, narrated her experience while trying to fight against hard drugs in her area, Kosovo. Her home was raided and she was consequently charged with trumped up charges in a bid to threaten her to keep silent. 

    In a deeper analysis, the major effects of hard drugs include the high rates of school dropouts and early pregnancies. During the open session, most people reflected on the interconnectedness of school dropouts and early pregnancies, and the subsequent rise of crime and substance abuse.

    Many people under the age of 18 are getting married, renting houses, raising “homes” and surviving through involvement in crime. Other effects that came up during the consultative forum include: poor hygiene, sexual violence that was leading to a rise in sexually transmitted diseases, insecurity, a rise in sex trafficking and prostitution. It was also apparent that children born in a family with a case of drug abuse, more often than not, follows the same parental experiences. 

    It was also understood during the forum that these hard drugs do not originate from Mathare, nor are the main peddlers from Mathare. The pushers, who might be from Mathare, are in the business of sourcing for income. Other drugs, like cosmos and yellow, are alleged to have come from Mathare Mental Hospital and pharmacies that sell these drugs easily to the community.

    Also, most of the aforementioned areas, like Colombia and Nigeria, have no administrative authority from chiefs, the police or the D.O or D. C., and extortion and violence forms the order of each day. Attendees noted that the recent gang fights in Mathare, which saw seven young people profiled and threatened by killer-cops on Facebook pages, were actually drug related violence disguised as ‘idle youth’ gang wars. 

    Drugs have continuously unified young people, who eventually form gangs mostly utilized by politicians to achieve their interests, which in most cases are personal. These gangs are, in most cases, culprits of the different forms of violence in Mathare. Thus, in order to achieve peace and security, the attendees opined that the solution would require an advocacy campaign and an organization- based approach against drugs and violence. There is also an oversupply of drugs.

    Elderly men and women in attendance had also been victims of hard drugs. Idleness and poverty were highlighted as the cross-cutting issues. The participants agreed that the community must have agency to deal with issues related to drugs and crime since the authorities seemed to be complicit in the many violent cycles of drugs and crime in Mathare. 

    In conclusion, the participants agreed that unemployment is a common factor that had led young and old people in Mathare into drug use. Most of the participants reflected that the problem of extrajudicial killings had to be handled from its core, identified to be two main factors: drugs and crime. 

    Young people were also advised to be considerate of the future, to reform and turn into defenders of their human right to dignity instead of succumbing to hopelessness. They also said that instead of arresting those victims of drugs, rather those who allow for the peddling and sustenance of the hard drugs business in Mathare should be detained. The people in Mathare live in destitute conditions, most have no access to food or nutrition, have no access to safe and clean drinking water, and there is no quality education; all of these issues cause the present situation.

    The participants agreed to form a committee against drugs and crime, which would be coordinated under Mathare Social Justice Centre. This committee would monitor the trend of drug use and advocate against drugs, crime, violence and extrajudicial killings. 

    Below is what the committee has decided to do:

     Draft a program of demands on employment and social justice 

     Organize community barazas targeted at advocacy against drugs and crime 

     Organize consistent activities that bring the Mathare community together to allow for community advocacy against drugs and crime. This includes tournaments, different forms of art, graffiti and concerts, local barazas, community cafés and focus group discussions

     Conduct consistent research, monitoring and documenting cases of drugs, crime and extrajudicial executions

     Consistent engagements with the different stakeholders on the campaign against drugs and crime

    The slogan adopted during the engagement was:

    TO STOP PETTY CRIME 

    WE WANT JOBS!! 

    TO STOP DRUGS AND VIOLENCE

    WE WANT JOBS!! 

    TO STOP DRUGS, CRIME AND VIOLENCE

    WE NEED PEACE AND SECURITY!! 

    TO GET PEACE AND SECURITY 

    WE WANT SOCIAL JUSTICE!! 

    Categories
    EJE Campaign Police Brutality Solidarity

    ODPP visit to highlight the profiling of Mathare youth

    The killing of young people in Mathare and the normalization of this injustice is what sparked the emergence of MSJC. For the last nine years, MSJC has campaigned against extrajudicial killings and the cleansing of young people in informal settlements.

    First it is arbitrary arrest, followed by extortion, enforced disappearance and the final stage is death. This has been the fate of hundreds of men in Mathare. Our Who is Next report documents over 800 killings by police in Kenya from 2013 – 2016.

    Our campaign has been successful in ending the normalization of EJEs in Mathare. But the killings have reduced, not ended. The police have changed tactic and they now profile young people as criminals on Facebook and then they later kill them. They then parade their dead bodies on Facebook like trophies. A very colonial practice.

    See here a screenshot from the vigilante police group: “Nairobi Crime Free.”

    On the evening of 23rd May 2023, a notorious Facebook page with the name ‘NAIROBI CRIME FREE’ made a post threatening seven known young people from Mathare 3C. See above. The post is made through one account believed to belong to the page’s admin, known as Saigonpunisher James. The post was directed to warn the group of seven, who are members of Vision Bearers Youth Group.

    Vision Bearers Youth Group is a self-help group in Mathare 3C area that was formed in 2017 to rehabilitate youths who had reformed from the difficult life of crime and violence in Mathare. The group’s main programs are acrobatics and traditional dance, garbage collection, food programs for kids and urban farming for food security where they work closely with the MSJC ecological justice campaign. Vision Bearers have 18 members, both men and women, and their future plan is to have a piece of land that they can use for ecological farming and to have a small community library.

    Last week there were politically instigated skirmishes in Mathare, and almost 50 houses were burnt, and up to ten people were injured. It is alleged that the violence started because of a stolen boda boda from Number Ten area, but politicians and the police took advantage to fuel the violence that was going on. It is during this crisis that Saigonpunisher James, of the vigilante NAIROBI CRIME FREE Facebook group, profiled and threatened the young men from Vision Bearers Youth Group, saying that they were thugs who are terrorizing Mathare residents. These assertions were to mislead the public and to justify the premeditated murder of these young people.

    To fight this police impunity, on Friday May 26 2023, MSJC, together with Vision Bearers Youth Group and Haki Africa, hosted and presented a petition to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). This petition, available below, focuses on the lack of response by security agencies in addressing reports of delays in the administration of justice, resulting from incidences of ethnic skirmishes, profiling of youths, enforced disappearances, extra-judicial killings, drug abuse and crime in Mathare. The right to life is absolute and it is our right to live with dignity even as we strive for social justice in Mathare.

    Our collective petition gave the following recommendations to the ODPP:

    1. Map and order the Inspector General of Police to investigate the faces behind pseudo social media accounts allegedly being used to profile young people as a strategy for preparing the ground for their possible execution and/or enforced disappearance;
    2. Order for the investigations of all cases petitioned during this forum to determine any incidences of culpability of any member of the criminal justice system with a view to instituting legal action against those found responsible for compromising the criminal justice system;
    3. Investigate alleged involvement of political leaders, local elders and security agencies who are responsible for inciting the youth to get involved in conflicts and insecurity, including use of ethnicity as a card for polarization and incitement;   
    4. Investigate allegations of failure by authorities to address the problem of hard drugs trafficking and use, which the community considers as a factor which influences youth involvement in crime;
    5. Apply your experience in collaborating with the CSOs fraternity to propose mechanisms for building and sustaining trust between communities and grassroots human rights defenders on one hand and security agencies and other criminal justice actors on the other hand, hence providing a space for effective use of community-led intelligence as a tool for fighting crime in Mathare; 
    6. Criminal justice actors in Mathare should agree on the formation of community peace and security committees with representatives from local communities, CSOs and government representatives to work together to fight crime as well as promote community cohesion; 
    7. Involve more youths and women in peace and security initiatives including those who are reforming from crime since they can be effective peace and security champions; 

    We thank HAKI Africa and Noordin Haji of the ODPP for making the time to visit our community. We hope together we will prioritise the right to life, dignity and justice struggles of all of whom are under threat of police and state impunity.

    The full petition is available here:

    Petition to ODPP from May 26, 2023 – MSJC, HAKI Africa & Vision Bearers Download

    Pictures of the visit are below:

    Categories
    African Social Justice Network Women in Social Justice Centres

    African Women Shaping Democracy

    Two powerful women at MSJC, Rahma Wako and Njeri Mwangi, were featured in Luminate’s “African Women Shaping Democracy” article.

    We celebrate the important work that Rahma and Njeri are doing, and continue to be inspired by their work to build community power and dignity.

    Viva Mama Rahma and Njeri viva!

    Categories
    EJE Campaign Police Brutality

    Police Use of Lethal Force – Report

    MSJC was part of a collaborative study on the use of lethal force by the police. The purpose of the study was “to analyse the use of force by the police in Kenya” in 2021.

    This important study brings together the work of organisations including the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU), the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI), the African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum (APCOF), MSJC and Laboratorio de Analise de Violencia.

    The critical findings and recommendations in the report are accessible through this link:

    Use of Force Report 2021Download
    Categories
    African Social Justice Network

    Building African Movements

    Between November 2 – 4, 2022, there was a convening of social justice movements from diverse African contexts in Nairobi, Kenya. This meeting was organized by the Tshisimani Centre For Activist Education and hosted by Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC), and is intended to build-up to a larger convening in Africa in 2022: where social movements in Southern and East Africa will come together to share strategies’, learn, and strengthen activism.

    The two-day gathering brought a lot of learning through group discussions, readings, artistic processes, engaging pedagogy, cultural night, and site visits to the Ukombozi library, Mathare Social Justice Centre, and Kayole Social Justice Centre.

    You can download the report of the convening here:

    Social Movement Building Across Africa: A Planning MeetingDownload

    Categories
    EJE Campaign Mothers of Victims & Survivors Network Police Brutality

    Charge Killer-Cop Rashid!

    After many years of community appeals, and the brave work of activists, killer-cop Rashid is scheduled to face his day in court, since the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) have accepted IPOA’s investigations about his role in the killing of two youth in Pangani — killings that were filmed and were broadcast across the nation five years ago in 2017.

    We are here to say, as we have been documenting since 2016, that killer-cop Rashid has killed many more of our brothers, some of them as young as 12 years. We document and keep documenting. For those defending him, and as he continues to protest his innocence, please see here a list of 43 young people killed by Rashid in Mathare and more in our 2017 report: Who is Next.

    This list was compiled by Mothers of Victims and Survivors in Mathare, whose children have also been killed by police bullets.

    We will not be silent. We will be in court to watch the prosecution of Rashid. And we will keep fighting for our children.

    NAMEDATEAGEPLACE EXECUTED 
    1.Christopher Maina21/02/201725yrsMlango kubwa
    2.Clinton Kioko16/06/201718yrs 
    3.Peter Gachichi Gitau01/01/201720yrsMlango Kubwa
    4.Kelvin Gitau14/04/201925yrsEastleigh
    5.Paul Munyoki Monthe31/12/201719yrsMlango Kubwa
    6.Dennis Mugambi07/12/201618yrs 
    7.Mbatia 30/11/2016  
    8.Saidi 18/04/201618yrs 
    9.Nicholas Maina Gitau20/05/2018  
    10.Francis Karani8/04/2017 Mlango Kubwa
    11.Papa   Mlango Kubwa
    12.Josh   Mlango Kubwa
    13.Santos   Mlango Kubwa
    14.Tobias 5/05/202017yrsBH
    15.Jarred Nyausi1/03/2021 Mlango Kubwa
    16.Abdul 17/05/202119yrs 
    17.Marcus Irungu1/03/202112yrsMathare 3c
    18.Samuel Ngure and 2 others24/08/2019 Mlango Kubwa
    19.Emmanuel Chaku20/05/202127yrsMlango Kubwa
    20.Brian  17yrsWhite Castle
    21.Peter   White Castle
    22.Ian Mutiso9/08/202124yrsMlango Kubwa
    23.Francis Ondego 27yrs 
    24.Fadhili Mohammed 22yrs 
    25.Pato  21yrs 
    26.Calvin Ochieng 22yrs 
    27.Maurice Odhiambo 23yrs 
    28.Mavine Ochieng  18yrs 
    29.Kelvin Omondi  Mathare 4A
    30.Alex Mwangi09/08/201919yrsMathare 3C
    31.Cosmos Muteithia25/12/201722yrsJuja Road
    32.Joseph Kahara27/05/201718yrsMlango Kubwa
    33.John Kibe29/04/2021 Mlango Kubwa
    34.Joseph Mbuthia Kamau 28/01/2018 Mlango Kubwa
    35.Oredo  20yrsBH
    36.Peter Maina7/05/201821yrsMlango Kubwa
    37.Benson Karindo17/04/201921yrsMlango Kubwa
    38.Charles Njogu23/01/2010  
    39.2 unknown9/08/2021 Amana petrol Station
    40. Amos Kangara11/10/202019yrsPangani
    41.Tobias Omondi29/05/202033yrsEastleigh
    42.George Odhiambo29/05/2020  
    43.Unknown 15/8/2021 Kambi Safi