Grassroots groups secure legal victories in EU-funded rights project

Winnie Wanjala,program representative during the final conference of Haki yetu funding program. [Juliet Omelo, Standard]

Grassroots organisations have helped secure county laws protecting persons with disabilities and widows, resolved community grievances and strengthened responses to gender-based violence under a four-year European Union-funded project.

The Haki Ni Yetu Project supported the enactment of a disability bill in Kirinyaga County and the Siaya Widows Protection Act, demonstrating how community groups can influence legislation and hold authorities accountable.

Winnie Wanjala, the project representative, said the initiative awarded 66 grants, comprising 44 small grants to emerging organisations and 22 major grants supporting broader human rights initiatives. Ninety per cent of the funding went to women-led, youth-led and marginalised group-led organisations.

“For some of them, this was their very first funding. Some of them did not even have structures,” Wanjala said during the project's closing conference in Nairobi.                 

Implemented by KIOS Foundation, InformAction Kenya and the CSO Network, the project supported more than 60 organisations across 32 counties, while training and capacity-building activities covered 15 priority counties.

The initiative reached more than 40,000 Kenyans, strengthened the capacities of over 600 civil society leaders and engaged more than 600 public officials and other duty bearers.

Mita Manek, the programmes manager at the EU Delegation in Kenya, emphasised the importance of listening to community voices, particularly those of young people.

“If you want to understand Kenya, don’t just look at the headlines; look at social media and listen to the stories,” Manek said.

The project focused on democracy and the rule of law, gender equality and non-discrimination, and business and human rights.

In Siaya, Homa Bay and Kericho counties, youth supported by Siasa Place identified 30 community concerns, 20 of which were resolved following engagement with authorities. The initiative also supported responses to 24 gender-based violence cases and developed a resource map linking survivors to essential services.

In Kilifi, the OneMillionTrees4Kilifi campaign used community screenings and public dialogue to raise concerns about mining and its effects on livelihoods and the environment. Another intervention established a Community Development Agreement committee to strengthen community participation in decisions concerning land and natural resources.

Jorge Pereiro Pinon, head of partnerships at the EU Delegation in Kenya, said the programme demonstrated the importance of supporting local organisations and giving citizens meaningful opportunities to influence decisions affecting their lives.

With the project now closed, partners have called for continued investment in grassroots leadership and civil society networks to sustain the gains made and protect communities' ability to seek redress.