On the eve of Madaraka Day, a high- level mission comprising Ms Katrin Hagemann, European Union’s Chargee d'Affaires a.i and members of UNDP Kenya Senior Management Team conducted a field visit to Kisumu County. The purpose of the mission was to assess progress made towards implementation of access to justice promotion projects funded under the the Programme for Legal Empowerment and Aid Delivery in Kenya (PLEAD).

PLEAD is a partnership between the Government of Kenya, the European Union, the United Nations and civil society organisations that aim to strengthen the rule of law by improving delivery of Justice and use of alternatives to imprisonment. The Programme was launched in 2018 and is funded by the EU to the tune of $35million.

During the mission, the team visited two Civil Society Organizations funded under PLEAD through Amkeni Wakenya project. Established in 2008, Amkeni Wakenya is a civil society strengthening project of UNDP Kenya that provides technical and financial support to CSOs. Under PLEAD, Amkeni Wakenya is supporting CSOs engaged in provision of legal aid and empowerment for the poor and marginalized in 12 counties.

The CSOs visited by the mission team are:

• Action in Community Environment In Africa (Ace Africa)
• Keeping Alive Societies Hope (KASH)

31^st May 2021

Morning session: Visit to Kisumu Borstal Institution (a partnership between ACE African and the Kenya Prisons Service)

After opening the National Legal Aid Service Offices in Kisumu city, the mission team visited the Kisumu Borstal Institution located in Kisumu City. The mission team assessed an ongoing access to justice project targeting children in conflict with the law. The project is currently being implemented by ACE Africa in partnership with the Kenya Prisons Service. ACE Africa is providing legal aid services to children held at the Borstal facility.

Afternoon session: Paralegals reflection workshop organized by Keeping Alive Society’s Hope (KASH) in Kisumu City

In the afternoon, the mission team participated briefly in a workshop organized by KASH, which brought together paralegals working under the project to review progress and lessons learnt thus far. During the session there were discussions on ongoing interventions and emerging issues. The activity provided the mission team with a unique opportunity of interacting and learning from the frontline justice workers who provide vital legal information and advice to vulnerable key populations in Kisumu County.

On 1 June, Chargee d'Affaires Katrin Hageman visited the Sky FM studios where she was interviewed in the morning show program, "Ugwe Wang."

Asante sana to the Kisumu team for the warm reception and the lovely Madaraka Day celebrations.