The Judiciary of Kenya has donated hundred (100) copies of the Constitution of Kenya to the Crime Si Poa (CSP), Access to Justice Programme. The donation to support the ongoing training of 80 paralegals from Kisumu and Vihiga counties. The support will enhance the legal knowledge of the youth to serve their communities effectively.
While receiving the donation from the Judiciary, CSP Executive Director, Pete Ouko termed the support, timely and a good gesture towards improving access to justice at the grassroots level under the Sheria Mashinani project.
“CSP appreciates the judiciary’s transformative policy of promoting access to justice for the common mwananchi. We appreciated the support the judiciary has continuously offered the organization during our regular community dialogue forums in different parts of the country,” Said Pete.
During the presentation of the donation on behalf of the Judiciary, the Communications Advisor in the Office of the Chief Justice, Michael Mumo, shared the vision of the Chief Justice in the promotion of access to justice as a pillar in the social transformation of society.
“The Judiciary appreciated the work Crime Si Poa is doing in the country. We call upon the organization to always reach out to the judiciary for partnerships that enhance access to justice for all,” said Mumo.
Mumo further said the Chief Justice is keen on ensuring the role of the judiciary to empower citizens and vulnerable groups such as children, persons living with disabilities, the youth, minorities and marginalized groups and elderly members of the society through access to justice.
According to Pete, the judiciary has been supportive of the organization through community dialogues and paralegal training of the young members of the community.
“CSP would like to express its sincere gratitude to Hon. Justice Isaac Lenaola, Judge of the Supreme Court of Kenya, initiated the process that led to today’s event. We would further like to appreciate the support of the Kisumu High Court led by Hon. Justice Fred Ochieng and Deputy Court Registrar, Hon. Lina Akoth for graciously attending and motivating the paralegals during their ongoing training,” concluded Pete.
Cases of child negligence by parents in Kajiado County have become rampant, leading to child rights abuse in the region. Parents have been accused of locking up children in the house while others give underage children drugs (Piriton) to induce sleep, for them to indulge in alcoholism and prostitution.
The cases emerged during an engagement on child protection between Ong’ata Rongai community members, duty bearers, and stakeholders at Talanta Social. The forum organized by our team under the Access to Justice Program aimed at raising awareness on the increasing cases of child abuse and negligence in the community.
According to Madam Veronica, a police officer under the gender office at Ongata Rongai Police Station, high levels of carelessness by parents in the area have seen a surge in many cases of abuse among children.
“Parents have to be responsible for their children. As a society, we cannot allow things to continue as usual while children are suffering. Children’s protection is a mandate for all of us. As law enforcement officers we want to work with the community to make this place a haven for all children.” lamented Madam Veronica.
Dr. luke Chiundu from Nairobi Women’s Hospital, Rongai, further added they have received loads of cases of defilement in the hospital, sexually transmitted diseases among children, and early pregnancies, which he termed a worrying trend that should be curbed immediately.
“If you want to see how a community is a progressive look at how it treats its children. Rongai has a huge problem with child protection that needs a multisectoral approach. Together as a community, we can tame these heinous acts by speaking out and taking actions against perpetrators,” said Dr. Chiundu.
Lydia Githuga, a member of Beacon of Hope and Children Protection Network added that multiple challenges are facing the community and such forums are needed to help talk them out.
“Some of the challenges faced within child protection are child prostitution, early marriages, child labor, defilement, drug abuse, hiding of disabled children by parents, ignoring children with mental disorders,” she said.
Halima Sharif, the representative of People With Disabilities, emphasized that cases of defilement and attempted defilement should not be solved at the community level. Instead, proper court action should prevail, for the children to get justice.
“We urge all parents and especially those with children with disabilities around Ong’ata Rongai to ensure they are protected. “If your child is defiled or molested reach out to us via free tall number 0780000300. We will guide you on the process to take,” concluded Halima.
All stakeholders and community members agreed to work together and ensure child protection is a priority in the community. They also agreed to hold and attend several forums that promote the rule of law in the community.
Crime Si Poa joins other human rights organizations and Kenyans at large to highly condemn the incident in which a female motorist was attacked by boda boda operators on Wangari Maathai Road. The heinous sexual assault is a wake-up call on the need to tame rogue and patently criminal elements within the fast-growing boda boda industry.
As a society, we have allowed menacing and undisciplined elements within the industry to form the most potent and mobile organized gangs in certain parts of the country. The unfortunate Wangari Maathai Road incident involving a lady motorist stands out for one peculiar thing. Some members of the public joined the marauding boda boda gangs in sexually molesting the victim. That is how low as a nation we have sunk.
Where are our values as a people? How could that sad incident happen on a busy highway and not one person saw it fit to come to the rescue of the victim? Is this not the same attitude that informs our indifference when our neighbours, friends, work colleagues and even relatives are subjected to repeated abuse by persons well known?
Are we not equally guilty when we shield perpetrators from facing the law in the false belief that we are protecting the “family” or “societal image?” Does it not prick our conscience when we pretend to mourn victims of violence yet we had it in our power to save them from abuse when they were alive? Shame on our pretentious nature that sheds premium social media tears but cannot stand up to be counted when it matters most on issues sexual and gender-based violence.
This is not a gender war. Neither is it a class war. This is a targeted war being waged on the soul of our nation. It is a war we must fight together and win together. It is time we restored our pride and dignity as a Kenyan people.
While we expect the law enforcement agencies to act with speed and restore order and sanity in the sector without victimizing innocent, law abiding operators, we on the other hand expect officials of the boda boda associations to work with law enforcement agencies in identifying, profiling and weeding out criminal elements in their midst. The few minority rotten apples must not be allowed to sully the industry which has become a big employer.
Crime Si Poa calls on all its members and all young people countrywide to take leadership in helping transform this sector for the better good of all.
Frederick Douglass once said, “Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.”
One of Crime Si Poa’s core missions is to promote equal access to justice for all. It is central to the establishment of safer-crime-free communities because justice enables people to live in security, knowing that they will be protected and treated fairly by the law.
The day-to-day reality of “promoting access to justice,” is a little more nuanced and entails numerous parts.
We focus on ensuring that all communities, especially those underserved, also enjoy their right to access legal education and legal aid services, that justice is not delayed, and that there is a smooth reintegration of return citizens into the community.
To qualify that a community is indeed in equilibrium, these four factors should exist:
First, there must be fairness in the processes used to resolve disputes, this is defined as procedural justice. Provision of Legal Aid Services and Education are two of the main ways in which communities are empowered to reach procedural justice. Citizens require knowledge of their rights and responsibilities in order to exercise full benefits under the law.
They also need to be well informed on processes to follow in the event of a conflict with the law. One of the ways third parties can be of aid is by facilitating legal awareness programs.
For Example, through Crime Si Poa’s legal awareness project, Sheria Mashinani, we have been able to collaborate with various law enforcement agencies to invest in Community Dialogue forums where we enlighten the local mwananchi on the laws that govern him.
The second aspect, which also has to do with procedural justice; is to certify that the community actually has access to the relevant institutions. It involves ensuring that legal aid services are available, accessible, and affordable.
Practically, this would look like training paralegals within the community to bring legal services closer to the people, establishing community-based legal centers, and assigning pro bono lawyers to the different communities.
A third factor in promoting equal access to justice is fast-tracking the justice system and seeing to it that cases are dealt with expeditiously. After all, justice delayed is justice denied.
In scenarios where this poses a challenge, pressure should be placed on the courts to deal with cases in a timely manner to avoid prolonged trauma to both the victim and their family or the offender.
Finally, true justice cannot be achieved if offenders are unable to come back and make meaningful contributions to society. It is crucial that return citizens can easily reintegrate in order to curb the chances of recidivism, which would defeat the whole purpose of the entire justice system.
Crime Si Poa seeks to make access to justice a reality. We partner with various organizations and individuals to support the reformation, transformation, and reintegration process of past offenders.
We perform this through our Prisons Outreach, Phoenix project, and Social Enterprise Program which concentrate on helping return citizens get back on their feet by equipping them with skills for a second chance in the outside world.
Over 4,000 school-going children in Nakuru, Kisumu, Kajiado, and Nairobi Counties have immensely benefited from mentorship and skills-building programs organized by Crime Si Poa (CSP) team in partnership with Global Fund For Children. The just concluded academic term saw the team create awareness on child protection and empowering them with life skills through interacting with various mentors.
The dedicated team comprising of young community-based counselors trained by professional psychologists mentored children on areas of drug and substance abuse, reproductive health, sex education, assertiveness, behavioral change, and HIV/AIDS.
According to Eric Waweru (famously known as Croach), CSP Community Outreach Officer, the program drew students and pupils from 19 selected primary and secondary schools from across the 4 counties. The students were also trained on soap-making skills in a fun and interactive session that equipped them with entrepreneurship skills.
“This week, we held our last school mentorship sessions of a very productive term, actively imparting the young adults with the knowledge and skills they need to exercise good judgment. Time really does fly when you’re doing something you love,” said Croach adding “ being a long holiday break we intend to move the program to the community to ensure children are protected and not in conflict with the law.”
Croach further emphasized on the dire need to impart young people with the right information to enable them to make the right decisions. The program is run with the support of the Global Fund for Children, working together in the best interest of children.
“It’s important for children to grow up with the confidence to boldly express their thoughts and beliefs and to have a strong sense of their worth. Assertiveness prepares them to stand up for their rights and fight against various forms of oppression. We thank GFC for the great support,” added Croach.
With the closure of the academic term, the Crime Si Poa team is currently working on how to effectively engage the students while they are on a holiday break.
In the last 2-months Crime Si Poa (CSP) has expanded its psychoeducation services to eight (8) prisons in Nakuru, Kisumu, and Nairobi cities in Kenya. This is an intervention to mental health disorders and recidivism among incarcerated youth in the country.
The services initiated under the Phoenix Programme not only enable the organization to meet the need for psycho- support in Kenyan prisons but also help promote the overall wellness of inmates and equip them with profitable skills that will make them self-sustainable, subsequently helping ease their reintegration process.
According to Flavier Mwika, CSP Phoenix Programme Officer, the prison outreach program has been received with much excitement from both inmates and the prison officers who look forward to the upcoming mentorship sessions.
“Initially I thought there would be little interest in our activities, especially among prison wardens. To my surprise, the community gave us a great reception and they have been so supportive to the program,” said Flavier, adding “Due to the impact created among inmates through psychoeducation services, officers have also requested for social support service since they are also facing issues related to mental health due to their nature of work.”
The program is currently being implemented in Nakuru Main Prison, Nakuru Women’s Prison, Kisumu Women’s Prison, Kisumu Maximum Prison, Kibos Prison, Nairobi West Prison, Langata Remand, and Langata Women’s Prison in Kenya.
The initiative entails mentorship sessions conducted by trained psychologists, spiritual sessions done by partner church organizations, and skills training sessions conducted by Crime Si Poa youth groups on the ground.
“We have partnered with psychologists who have agreed to volunteer in conducting sessions to create awareness on the importance of nurturing a healthy mental state. The program has also involved churches in the three cities willing to offer spiritual services to the inmates,” confirmed Flavier.
Inmates have shown a positive attitude toward the activities. They have expressed interest in having counseling services. They have also trained other inmates who do not get a chance to participate in these activities.
Paul Kibisu, one of the inmates at Kisumu Maximum Prison, is a jubilant person who has largely benefited from the program especially the social enterprise aspect of it through learning skills on bead making and soap making.
“Inmates are just like any other person; we are not enemies. CSP should engage us in more activities that will prevent us from relapsing and going back to crime again. Someone regarded to be evil or bad can change and be of great impact on society. Some of us are prisoners due to crimes we committed out of peer pressure, bad influence, poor background, and lack of guidance,” said Kibisu.
In the sessions held so far, the CSP team has noted that the majority of prisons in Kenya lack guidance and counseling departments. The few prisons that do have these departments, don’t have the capacity to make them active.
“Mental health continues to be an emerging issue in Kenya, especially among inmates, who are extremely vulnerable. The lack of psycho support in the prisons, increases the gravity of the issue, with cases of suicide, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder on the rise hence the reason why we saw the need to expand this program,” concluded Flavier.
The promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya in 2010 brought a new life in Kenya. Among them is the reform of police services, geared towards modernizing and transforming the police agencies into professional and accountable police services responsive to the needs of Kenyans. This came after decades of law enforcement marked by police brutality, harassment, and extrajudicial killings.
A lot of changes have been witnessed in the National Police Service (NPS) in terms of administrative, institutional, policy, and legislative frameworks. However, despite all these efforts, a daunting task remains in boosting a good rapport between the police and civilians.
The acts of impunity by some members of the police service have greatly eroded the confidence of Kenyans towards the police. Most of the time, the police force is viewed as an enemy, a threat to life and peace, instead of being protectors of life.
Unprecedented violence, human rights, and dignity violations have hugely dented the image of the National Police Service; despite the many good acts of service, they have rendered to citizens.
However, as much as we would like to lean on the negative side of the police force, it would be a grave injustice not to mention the many good acts of service rendered to Kenyans by the police. There are many good officers who have done exemplary work for the people, and in them, “Utumishi kwa wote” has found its fulfillment.
Talk about the officer who traded a gun for chalk to teach some students at the Kenya-Ethiopia border. Not forgetting the 25 police officers recognized by Manu Chandaria for their good work. There is much to be said about the Kenyan police on the peace-keeping mission in South Sudan, honored by the United Nations. Many good, loyal, and dedicated members of the police service have proved time and again that the public can still trust them to protect them.
Changing the narrative
To avert further aggression between the community and the police force, we must look back and check where we went wrong as a country and find possible solutions to this menace.
Historically, a culture of impunity was passed down from the colonial era and is evident in post-colonial Africa. The colonists used African tribesmen to carry out punitive expeditions on their fellow Africans. In the same vein, the police have little regard paid to the law, and the fact that it is little or no accountability for the police does not help.
Secondly, how the police are trained could be a factor in explaining the violence exhibited by our men and women in uniform. If you have been to Kiganjo, you have seen how the recruits are subjected to dehumanizing and degrading exercises in the name of recruitment. The lack of professionalism in the process might explain the situation’s “Kwa ground”.
Lastly, the almost non-existent structures of civilian oversight do not make things better. The Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) was founded in 2011 to investigate police brutality and killings as a way to check the power of the police. To date, only about 13 convictions out of 10,000 complaints lodged have been made.
The much-needed shift
There is a need for a 180-degree shift in mindset, which can only be brought about by training. If training is done properly, with regard to qualification and the dignity of the recruits, it will reflect on how they perform their duties. The training should focus more on human rights and the rule of law and be conducted in such a manner that the two are ingrained in the minds and hearts of the officers.
A powerless IPOA banking on the cooperation of the NPS will never perform as it ought to. The institution needs to have the power to compel the Inspector-General of Police to ensure accused police officers cooperate during investigations. Additionally, the government needs to allocate adequate funds to IPOA to enable them to conduct investigations.
Another way to enhance oversight of the NPS could be to devolve the police service, borrowing a leaf from the American model that has established police departments in each state. Devolving the police service would allow for easier management of the officers by the county government. This would increase accountability as compared to centralized control of the police service. Devolving would also make the police more responsive to issues affecting residents of particular counties. This will also enable IPOA to monitor and investigate independent police departments, unlike a centralized one.
As Kenyans, we also have an individual responsibility to ensure that “Utumishi Kwa Wote” becomes a reality through expressing themselves by raising their voices against impunity as well as by being law-abiding citizens.
Every ten (10) people in Kenya suffer from a common mental disorder. The largest population of these statistics is made up of young people, from age 18 and 35. Youth currently make up 75 percent of Kenya’s population, and they are the most affected by mental health issues according to research.
As an organization – Crime Si Poa, we feel there it’s critical for relevant agencies to analyze the impact mental disorder has on youth when evaluating the mental health status of the nation.
In 2021, Kenya established a Mental Health Taskforce to implement reforms to improve care for those with mental health conditions. The Taskforce reported that there exists high levels of depression, suicidal behavior, mental distress, and substance use in the country among the youth.
According to Dr. Jackson Kioko, Director of Medical Services (DMS), young people aged 10-24, face mental health risks associated with human rights violations, wars, and violence.
He further noted substance abuse, sexual, reproductive, and gender identity issues, obesity and overweight problems, HIV infections, and cyberbullying among other issues affecting the youth mental condition in the country.
This follows the World Health Organization’s 2017 report on the world mental health situation which ranked Kenya fourth in the highest number of depressed people in Africa.
Alarms should be going off by now!
In my experience as a mental health practitioner, it is not uncommon to have daily encounters with a person or two who have had traumatic life experiences…and if you are a 22nd Century youth in Kenya, you are familiar with the question, “What is wrong with young people?”
I would like to sit here and tell you that there is one principal cause of the declining mental health of youth and give a strict 300 mg prescription to be taken twice a day. In reality, there is a myriad of issues varying from individual to individual that makes it difficult to pinpoint what singularly goes ‘wrong.’
Family issues may be, unemployment?… The list goes on. We would always come up with different hypotheses. On a large scale, especially when lived by the individual, it feels like eternal damnation. Break these things down into smaller-sized issues, and we have ‘normal’ life challenges…but what really is “normal?”
Sadly, we live in a society that applauds tolerance (suffering in silence; without intention to remedy or exit the situation) as grit and endurance. You know, the old ‘toughen it out!’ Sometimes in our national culture, it is literally okay to not be okay.
Our attitude around mental health has an affinity towards coping. It is the reason for panic and disassociation once young people begin to breach the system and display visible cries for help; whether it is a high drug and substance abuse, increased engagement in crime, or literal suicide!
What is questioned is young people’s integrity to cope.
We ask, “Have youth become so averse to challenges that we find it hard to adapt? Have they been ‘sheltered’ too much?”
Well, it’s neither Yes nor No. The answer is that Mental Health Matters and we need to pay attention. At all levels of intervention: within schools, communities, churches, workplaces and the very fabric of society, we should structure our response and improve our value systems around mental health.
What does this look like?
Continue reading Crime Si Poa’s Mental Health Awareness and Intervention Blogs.
Crime Si Poa on Friday, February 18th, 2022 held a community dialogue forum in Kisumu city, on building cohesion between communities and the criminal justice system.
The forum brought together different community stakeholders, bodaboda riders, and key players in the criminal justice system including the National Police Service-NPS, The office of the Director of public prosecutions – ODPP, Kenya Independent Policing Oversight- IPOA, Director of Criminal Investigation -DCI, Kenya Judiciary the ministry of interior and coordination of national government.
The #BuildingVoices conversation handled various issues including access to justice, sexual harassment cases, bribery, crime, police-civil relations, the role the bodaboda community can play in helping the criminal justice system, and how the community at large can curb and maintain law and order.
The youth used the forum to express their concerns, highlighting the laxity from the police in ensuring that young people are protected, citing that cases of drug abuse and defilement among minors have been on the rise in the area.
“Young people should feel safe growing up in Kisumu County,” said Inspector Beatrice Luvembe. “If as a young person you feel you have not been served well at the station level, you are advised to go to a higher office and seek to be heard and served and if not we have IPOA go there and complain,” she added. “We must collaborate and work together to ensure we attain justice. ”
Magistrate Lina Akoth warned the audience that “ Despite the behavior of a minor, they are still underage and below the age of 18 years as per the Constitution of Kenya. Please do not sexually engage or defile minors, it is a crime.”
During the dialogue, the youth also lamented against police harassment and tried to seek tentative solutions to ensure protection by the criminal justice system from rogue police officers.
Maurine Odumba from the ODPP encouraged the youth to stand for their rights and ensure sufficient evidence to defend their complaints. “If you are wrongfully accused please provide evidence and witnesses. This is what really matters in a court of law,” she advised.
Inspector Luvembe also discouraged the youth from giving bribes, as it encourages misconduct by rogue police officers. She further revealed that bribery is a two-way traffic and both the giver and the receiver of the bribe have committed a crime. “ We must end this culture of impunity inculcated in us. Let us all be law-abiding citizens,” she advised.
Inspector Luvumbe urged for more collaborative efforts between community leaders, youth groups, and the criminal justice system to ensure a safer community and crime free-city.
Boda Boda riders commit to work with key players in the criminal justice system in Kisumu County, especially law enforcement agencies, to reveal crucial information that would help curb crime in the region.
Speaking during the Kisumu Criminal Justice Accountability Forum, held on 18th February 2022 at Mama Grace Onyango Social Hall, Kisumu, Boda boda Association Chair Donatus Obul called for collaboration between the association and law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime, which has been worryingly increasing overtime.
“We hold a lot of information that can aid in revealing criminal activities in Kisumu County. We carry these people to different places and in the process learn a lot. Let’s work together and you will be shocked by the kind of high voltage criminal information we would give out as evidence or proof of crime and perpetrators. We know them and where they are hiding from the police”, unveiled Obul.
According to Obul, Boda Boda riders have had a bad reputation labeled against them with a lot of crime linked to the riders. He affirmed that as an association there are ready to work with different stakeholders in restoring their brand.
We are law-abiding citizens and in most cases, entrusted by the majority of you in services such as dropping the young ones to school. We accept that we have a few rotten tomatoes amongst us. We will uproot them adds Obul, further saying “We do not allow underage riders in our association. They are the ones most used to commit crime because they are still quite gullible. Parents, please do not allow underage children to be Boda boda riders, it’s against the law”, concluded Obul.
Inspector Beatrice Luvumbe welcomed the invitation by Boda Boda riders to work together with the police noting that such community engagement will enhance the efforts of law enforcement officers, in return creating a crime-free society.
“We all have a responsibility to our safety and security. We must hold each other accountable to create a lawful community. As a police service, we hugely rely on information coming from the public. This information helps us to fight crime. We are ready and open to work with the riders and young people at large to boost security within Kisumu County.
Earlier in the day Boda Boda raiders and youth from Kondele, Obunga, Nyalenda & Manyatta held a peaceful procession as a commitment to end crime within the city and stand for peace, especially during this election period.
