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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) was created in October 2004. Initial members of the network were, the APC CATIA project in Kenya, TESPOK, the International development and Research Centre (IDRC), the Kenya ICT Federation (KIF), and the Kenya WSIS Civil Society Caucus.
Established in 1959, the Kenya Section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ Kenya) is a non-governmental, non-partisan, not for profit making, membership organisation registered in Kenya.
With a membership drawn from the Bar as well as the Bench, it is a National Section of the International Commission of Jurists whose headquarter is in Geneva. It is however autonomous from the ICJ – Geneva.
The Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists
ICJ Kenya is a National Section of the International Commission of Jurists based in Nairobi, Kenya. It is represented in the Commission in Geneva by its former Chairperson, Mr. Kathurima M’Inoti. Over 300 jurists members comprise the organization which is dedicated to the legal protection of human rights in Kenya, and the African region in terms of the general mandate for national sections defined by Article 4 of the ICJ Statute. ICJ Kenya is governed under a Constitution through an elected council of 7 members that serves for two-year fixed terms.
The human rights work of the organization is fulfilled by members through a permanent secretariat where a professional team of full time lawyers is in charge of programmatic activities under the oversight functions of the elected council. Currently, ICJ Kenya is implementing activities within four core programmatic areas under its Strategic Plan 2000 – 2005.
Kenya Human Rights Commission is a non-governmental, independent organization established in 1992 in response to serious human rights abuses by the government of Kenya. The Kenya Human Rights Commission has multiple concerns:
- Sustainability of the human rights movement, as the protection, promotion and enhancement of all human rights for all people depends largely on the extent to which human rights and democratic practices are adequately rooted among communities.
- Liberation, as rights cannot be separated from political struggles that seek to remove existing structures of injustice. People perceive rights holistically and in an integrated manner, rights for them boil down to secured livelihoods, well being and dignity - human life in its fullness for them and their posterity. Rights are then defended, demanded and protected in the context of specific political struggles against injustices and conditions that give rise to violations of rights. The struggle enables grassroots groups and organizations to liberate themselves.
- Social Justice, as human rights within a global conceptual framework leads to global forces shaping the human rights discourse. Roles of various actors – multinational corporations, government and private sectors - impacts negatively on poor communities leading to homegrown rooted injustices. Thus, in the face of strong presence of Multinational Corporations (MNCs) in the country influencing lives of workers in the horticulture and in Export Processing Zones (EPZs), human rights struggle has to be founded on a social justice paradigm to protect the vulnerable from having their rights violated.
- Accountability, as it is only through accountable human rights centered governance amongst state, non-state actors, and individuals that human rights protection, promotion and enjoyment by all Kenyans can be achieved.
- Gender mainstreaming, as no country can develop and become a democracy unless girls and women – who constitute more than half the population – become equal citizens of that country. We believe that any government worth its salt should be guided by gender sensitivity, equality, affirmative action, equity, democracy and inclusiveness. in all its work, the KHRC is committed to mainstreaming gender.
Government resources
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (the Commission) is an independent National Human Rights Institution established by an Act of Parliament. Its core mandate is to further the protection and promotion of human rights in Kenya. Many countries have similar bodies. The United Nations encourages Governments to create National Human Rights Institutions as a strategy towards better protection and promotion of human rights.
Powers of the Commission
Powers Generally of the Commission.
The Commission shall have all the powers necessary or expedient for the proper performance of its functions under this Act and shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.
Powers of court.
(1) In the performance of its functions under this Act, the Commission shall have the powers of a court to -
(a) issue summonses or other orders requiring the attendance of any person before the Commission and the production of any document or record relevant to any investigation by the Commission;
(b) question any person in respect of any subject matter under investigation before the Commission;
(c) require any person to disclose any information within such person’s knowledge relevant to any investigation by the Commission.
(2) The Commission may, if satisfied that there has been an infringement of any human right or freedom, order -
(a) the release of any unlawfully detained or restricted person;
(b) the payment of compensation; or
(c) any other lawful remedy or redress.
(3) A person or authority dissatisfied with an order made by the Commission under subsection (2) may appeal to the High Court within twenty-one days of such order.
(4) An order of the Commission under subsection (2) may be filed in the High Court by any party thereto in such manner as the Commission may, in Regulations made in consultation with the Chief Justice, prescribe and such party shall give written notice of the filing of the order to all other parties within thirty days of the date of the filing of the order.
(5) If no appeal is filed under subsection (3), the party in favour of whom the order is made by the Commission may apply ex parte by summons for leave to enforce such order as a decree and the order may be executed in the same manner as an order of the High Court to the like effect.
(6) A person who -
(a) fails to attend before the Commission in accordance with any summons or order issued under subsection (1)(a); or
(b) having attended before the Commission, refuses to be sworn or to make an affirmation, or having been sworn or affirmed, refuses without lawful excuse, to answer any question or to produce any document; or
(c) knowingly gives any false or misleading information to the commission; or
(d) causes an obstruction or disturbance in the course of any proceedings before the Commission, commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty thousand shillings, or to imprisonment for term not exceeding six months, or to both.
Powers relating to investigation.
(1) The Commission may, for the purpose of conducting any investigation pertaining to an inquiry, utilize the services of any public servant or investigation agency of the Government and where a public servant is so utilized under this subsection, the Commission shall pay such public servant or agency for the service rendered.
(2) For the purpose of investigating into any matter pertaining to an inquiry, a public servant or agency whose services are utilized under subsection (1) may, subject to the direction and control of the Commission -
(a) summon and enforce the attendance of any person for examination;
(b) require the discovery and production of any document; and
(c) subject to the Official Secrets Act, requisition any public records or copy thereof from any public servant.
(3) The provisions of section 24 shall apply in relation to any statement made by a person before any public servant or agency whose services are utilized under subsection (1) as they apply in relation to any statement made by a person in the course of giving evidence before the Commission.
(4) The public servant or agency whose services are utilized under subsection (1) shall investigate into any matter pertaining to the inquiry and submit a report thereon to the Commission in that behalf.
(5) The Commission shall satisfy itself on the correctness of the facts stated and the conclusion, if any, arrived at in the report submitted to it under subsection (4) and for that purpose, the Commission may make such inquiry (including the examination of any person or persons who conducts or assists in the investigation) as it deems fit.
This is the official government spokesman’s portal.
It has a vision to be an excellent facilitator of communication between the government of Kenya and its publics for sustainable development and a mission to build an efficient and proactive government communication system through research, training and information dissemination for good governance and positive image of Kenya.
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