Diakonia: Working collaboratively with FIDA-Kenya for the benefit of the communities we serve.

FIDA-Kenya, led by Executive Director Anne W. Ireri recently in June hosted Diakonia International Director Anna Eggelind at FIDA-Kenya offices in Nairobi where the two teams discussed existing projects supported by Diakonia and explored areas for further collaboration and partnership all aimed at the protection of women’s rights, political participation, and enhancing access to justice. Diakonia’s Natacha Vorholter, Africa Regional Director, Irene Maina, Program Officer, and Maureen Bichanga of Finance and Administration were present at the meeting.

Present from FIDA-Kenya were Diana Watila, Deputy Executive Director, Moses Okinyi, PR and Communications, Christabella Barasa Monitoring and Evaluation and Dennis Owuor Access to Justice Program,

The team was taken through our virtual Justice Center in the office and later visited the Langáta Women’s Prison’s Virtual Justice Center.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the adoption of virtual court sessions by the Judiciary was critical in keeping the wheels of justice moving while also protecting judiciary staff, Advocates, litigants, and other court users at the height of the pandemic. However, a new barrier was created for Kenyans, especially those who were self-representing and had no or limited access to technologically enabled devices such as laptops and smartphones that could enable them to log into the virtual court sessions. This was felt strongly by FIDA-Kenya’s clientele, mostly women from poor backgrounds to whom the cost of internet bundles was also inhibiting.

FIDA-Kenya has established Virtual Justice Centres in its three offices to address the challenges observed in accessing virtual courts.

Since the establishment of the first FIDA-Kenya Virtual Justice Center in Nyeri Women’s Prison on 28th September 2020 through the kind support of the Embassy of Sweden and Diakonia.

FIDA-Kenya has been supporting the establishment of similar virtual justice centers in other female prisons that is in Nyeri, Kisii, Thika, Langata, Kodiaga, and Shimo la Tewa Women’s prisons This has been made possible by the support of the Danish Embassy (DANIDA) through URAIA, UNDP and the embassy of Sweden and Diakonia.

Through our technical assistance for key criminal justice institutions, we aim to make justice and fair trial accessible to women including those in prisons computer equipment, flat-screen television sets, and continuous self-representation training to enable wide participation in virtual court proceedings. We also offer virtual, mediation, counseling, and group therapy sessions for clients at our offices and female inmates and have their cases heard fast and in a cost-effective manner.