Access to Justice For Vulnerable Groups

OUR PROGRAMMES

Affordable and Efficient Justice

In Kenya’s Coast region, vulnerable groups — including persons with disabilities (PWDs), children, and older persons — continue to face systemic barriers to justice. High levels of gender-based violence, child labour, trafficking, and the targeted killing of older persons accused of witchcraft are driven by harmful cultural norms, poverty, and limited awareness of rights. The formal justice system remains out of reach for many due to high costs, illiteracy, and weak community-level protection mechanisms.

Haki Yetu’s Access to Justice Program bridges this gap by providing legal aid, empowering grassroots human rights defenders, promoting rights awareness, and working with justice actors to reform policies and systems. We also support Alternative Justice Systems (AJS) by training local mediators and offer psychosocial support to survivors and frontline defenders. To date, we have trained and supported over 120 paralegals and grassroots human rights defenders across the region, and 150 community mediators to help resolve disputes and reduce the burden on formal courts. Our collaboration with Court Users Committees has helped influence justice practices in Kilifi, Mombasa, Kwale, and Tana River counties.

Recent highlights include the publication of “Silent Suffering: Lost Futures”, which documents the hidden impact of teen pregnancies, and “Aged on Edge”, which exposes the increasing violence and killings targeting older persons. These publications have been instrumental in drawing national attention to neglected justice issues and informing advocacy strategies. Through this program, Haki Yetu continues to amplify the voices of the marginalized and drive systemic change toward a more just and inclusive society.