The fight against Gender-based violence in Taita Taveta County has received a major boost after Haki Yetu Organization successfully trained 30 community members and local administrators as paralegals. The intensive week-long training equipped participants with legal knowledge on land rights, gender issues, and pathways to justice-skills that are expected to transform how GBV cases are handled at the grassroots.
Speaking during the closing ceremony, Kidanya Ngerenyi chief, Festo Nyangala, lauded the initiative describing it as a timely intervention in a region where many survivors suffer in silence due to lack of legal awareness.
“In the recent past, this area has seen a worrying rise in cases of defilement, rape, and even suicides within families. This training is timely because, as administrators, we will rely on these paralegals to help in protecting witnesses, preserving evidence, and educating the public. This will go a long way in reducing the GBV menace in our county,” said Chief Nyangala.
The chief further noted that a shortage of child protection officers and limited awareness on how to seek justice has contributed to delayed or denied justice for victims. Many cases collapse due to fear, intimidation, or lack of confidence among witnesses.
“We have many pending GBV cases because the community fears speaking out. Most suspects walk free. But with this training, I’m optimistic that participants will lead advocacy efforts, especially now during the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence,” he added.
Founded in 2021, the Mombasa-based human rights group Haki Yetu has been at the forefront of championing gender righteous coastal counties. Their approach focuses on empowering communities through legal awareness, advocacy, and stronger collaboration with the judiciary, police, and legal practitioners.
According to Triza Gacheru, an advocate from Haki Yetu Organization emphasized the urgent need to equip residents with legal knowledge-particularly in remote areas where access to lawyers and courts remains limited.
“It is shocking that in Wundanyi constituency, very few lawyers are available to support the community, despite the rising cases of GBV. For example, Lushangonyi residents must travel 16km to the nearest law court, and over 55km to access high court services in Voi. This is why building community paralegals are critical,” said Triza.
The 30 newly trained paralegals, drawn from women’s groups, youth, community leaders, local administrators, and artists across all four sub-counties, completed 40 hours of intensive training over five days.
Their role will now include offering basic legal guidance, supporting victims through the justice process, and enhancing community awareness on rights and reporting mechanisms.
“We have been trained intensively as paralegals in the community, and we have been impacted with knowledge that will help us in assisting all those going through GBV. We have learnt court procedures that we did not know and how to handle evidence to ensure that justice is served,” said Pamfil Mwadeghu, a trained paralegal.
As the world marks the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, Taita Taveta County now stands better equipped with a new generation of community-based “lawyers” ready to challenge silence, support survivors, and champion justice at the grassroots.
The hope, according to both community leaders and Haki Yetu Organization, is that empowering the public with knowledge will finally break the cycle of violence and ensure that justice is no longer a privilege but a right accessible to all.
