Hema La Katiba

HEMA LA KATIBA THE QUEST FOR CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE IN KENYA Presented to Kenyans in Diaspora Conference Boston 17-19th July 2009 By James Kabutu

what is Hema La Katiba • Hema La Katiba (Constitution Tent) is an open forum of citizens organized by human rights activists in various places in the city of Nairobi and also up-country.

Objective • Creating a people-driven social movement • Making village assemblies • Focal point for structuring economic and political power and authority • Enhancing village democracy and village understanding of human rights.

Hema La Katiba Network   Region

No. of Branches

Members

Nairobi

6

850

Kisumu

4

239

3

620

Nakuru

2

183

Homa-Bay

1

102

Kakamega

1

92

Wajir

1

40

Machakos

I

63

Kibwezi

1

42

Embu

1

70

Eldoret

1

248

22

2549

TOTAL

Strategies to enhance the capacity of Hema La Katiba •Develop a gender analysis framework in the context of human rights work; •Recognize minority rights defenders; •Raise awareness and provide education on the special needs of minority rights and those defending the physically challenged and other marginalized groups; •Develop a media strategy and use the media to raise the profile of the work of rights; •Facilitate access to funds for emergency needs; •Establish and maintain relationships with organizations that have special programmes on the protection of human rights issues such as the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and Amnesty International - Kenya Chapter.

Learning Activities for Hema La Katiba

•Raise awareness on laws and constitution that hinder the work of human rights activists through public education and outreach activities; •Advocate and empower the community, particularly the young people, by helping them to identify and analyze their rights to vote through conducting voter education; •Lobby to ensure government compliance with legal decisions; •Develop training programmes targeting government institutions, other authorities, decision-makers and policymakers on issues related to the work and protection of human rights in accordance with the constitution; •Co-ordinate peace in our communities through seminars, workshops and educating the society on democratic values; •The network will monitor and observe individual human rights. •The network will support human rights groups, particularly women human rights defenders and other marginalized groups, to access the legal system and obtain appropriate remedies.

Evidence of Police Brutality