๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐ข๐จ๐ก๐๐จ๐ฃ: ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐๐, ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ข๐ช๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ณ
The road to the 2027 elections is already upon us and across communities, the Social Justice Centers Working group (SJCWG) is refusing to wait for politicians to define the political agenda. Through the Haki Mtaani community dialogues, Social Justice Centres are taking civic education directly to the people, creating spaces where communities can interrogate power, discuss their rights and responsibilities, confront political violence, and imagine a Kenya where elections are not seasons of fear, manipulation and division.
It has been a busy weekend of community organizing, civic education and peacebuilding, with dialogues held across several parts of Nairobi. From youths and boda boda riders to women, residents and community justice actors, the message has been consistent: peace cannot be separated from justice, and democracy cannot survive where citizens are reduced to tools for political mobilization.
๐จ-๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐ก ๐๐๐ก๐ฌ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐: ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ฆ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ข๐ข๐ก๐๐ฆ๐
In Kiamako, At U-Turn Kenya Social Justice Centre, more than 40 young people participated in a Haki Mtaani dialogue examining two critical questions: What kind of elections are we preparing for in 2027, and what role will young people play?
The conversation confronted the growing use of youths as instruments of political violence and goonism. Young people were encouraged to recognize their political power beyond being mobilized, paid or manipulated to intimidate others during election periods.
A big thank you goes to Comrade Ojango for taking the youths through the day’s agenda and facilitating a conversation centred on political consciousness, responsibility and peaceful participation.
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข: ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ค๐จ๐๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ข๐ก ๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ก๐
In Mathare. Kiamako, community dialogue brought together boda boda riders to discuss policing, accountability and adherence to the law. The conversation emphasized that laws must apply to everyoneโincluding law enforcement officers.
Participants raised concerns around police conduct and emphasized the need for police to follow the law, alongside clearer separation of duties between police officers responsible for enforcement and other actors involved in traffic regulation.
The message was simple: a society governed by law cannot have law enforcers operating above the law.
๐ก๐๐๐ก๐๐ข: ๐๐ฅ๐ง๐๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ด ๐๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ข๐ช๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก
In Githembe Sub-location, Ngando Ward, Dagoretti, Ngando Community Social Justice Centre convened residents for a Haki Mtaani community dialogue focused on Article 38 and political participation.
The dialogue created a safe, inclusive and non-partisan space for residents to understand their constitutional rights and interrogate the barriers that prevent meaningful political participation.
Importantly, civic participation was framed as much more than voting every five years. Citizens have a continuing responsibility to engage leaders, participate in public affairs, demand accountability and influence decisions affecting their communities.
The Constitution must live in the villages, estates and streetsโnot remain trapped in legal documents and courtrooms.
๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐: ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐, ๐ฃ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐
In Viwandani, Makadara Social Justice and Information Centre (MASJIC) brought young people together to discuss politics, civic participation and the growing concern around political violence.
The youths reflected on how violence destroys communities while benefiting political interests that often remain far removed from the consequences.
As an outcome, participants agreed to launch a peace awareness campaign to counter political violence, promote dialogue and encourage young people to reject manipulation.
Young people must not only be remembered when politicians need crowds. They must be empowered to question, organize, participate and make decisions about the future of their communities.
๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐๐ก๐: ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐
The Kasarani Paralegals and Community Justice Centre held a Youth Peace Dialogue focusing on conflict prevention, community safety, peaceful coexistence and the role of young people in building safer communities.
Participants discussed their experiences and explored peaceful mechanisms for resolving disputes, emphasizing tolerance, respect, dialogue and justice.
The centre reaffirmed its commitment to supporting communities through access to justice, mediation, peacebuilding and community dialogue.
๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ข ๐๐จ๐๐ช๐: ๐๐ฅ๐ง, ๐๐๐ฆ๐ง๐ข๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ข๐ช๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ก๐๐
In Mlango Kubwa, Mathare, Haki Mtaani took a creative turn through a film screening on the History of Resistance in Kenya.
Around 50 community members participated, joined by SJCWG Secretary Diana, 43 Coordinator Ojango Macapondi, and Maganga from RSL.
The engagement demonstrated that art is not merely entertainment, it is a powerful instrument for shaping narratives, preserving memory and advancing advocacy.
Our civic education continues: Educate. Liberate. Celebrate.
๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ข: ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐ง๐ข๐ข๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐
In Korogocho, the Korogocho Peace and Justice Centre convened a Haki Mtaani dialogue focused on civic education.
Community members explored what civic participation means, their constitutional rights, the responsibilities of different duty bearers and practical ways of maintaining peaceโparticularly as Kenya approaches another election period.
Knowledge remains one of the strongest weapons against manipulation. An informed citizen is harder to deceive, easier to organize and more capable of demanding accountability.
๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐: ๐ช๐ข๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐ง ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ง๐ฅ๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐จ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐
In Kayole Central, Komarock, Al Qamar led engagement around women’s participation, civic education and peacebuilding during the election period.
The initiative seeks to empower women and youth to participate meaningfully in electoral processes, strengthen civic awareness, promote peaceful coexistence and prevent election-related violence.
Women are not spectators in democracy. They are citizens, leaders, organizers and agents of peace whose voices must shape the political future of Kenya.
๐๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐: ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐๐ก๐ฆ, ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก๐ฆ
At Chaplins of Hope Social Justice Centre, the Haki Mtaani dialogue focused directly on elections and voting.
Community members discussed informed and responsible voting, electoral violence, voter bribery, electoral malpractice, hate speech, misinformation, human rights, accountability, and the participation of women and youth.
The message was captured in the theme: โInformed Citizens, Peaceful Elections, Stronger Communities.โ
๐๐๐ ๐จ๐๐จ๐ก๐๐: ๐จ๐ก๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ก
In Kamukunji, the Kamukunji Youth Empowerment Network and KYEN Social Justice Centre engaged young people on the dangers of divisive and segregationist politics.
The dialogue challenged attempts to weaponize religion and ethnicity to divide communities and mobilize political support.
The emerging political consciousness was clear: our diversity must not become a weapon in the hands of political entrepreneurs.
Young people must reject politics that turns neighbour against neighbour, community against community and faith against faith. The future belongs to a generation that understands that unity is not uniformityโit is the collective recognition that every Kenyan deserves dignity, justice and equal citizenship.
๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐ง๐๐ก๐จ๐๐ฆ
Across these communities, one reality is becoming increasingly clear: peace cannot simply be preached; it must be built on justice, equality, constitutionalism and accountable governance.
As Kenya moves toward 2027, the Social Justice Movement and its social justice centres are taking the struggle to the grassrootsโnot waiting for election campaigns to begin before talking to citizens.
Haki Mtaani is about reclaiming civic space. It is about transforming communities from passive audiences into active participants in democracy.
The task ahead is enormous. But so is the power of organized citizens.
We will educate.
We will organize.
We will resist manipulation.
We will reject political violence.
We will defend constitutional rights.
And we will build a Kenya where elections are not a marketplace for fear, ethnicity and goons, but a democratic process shaped by informed and empowered citizens.
๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐.
๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ง๐. ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐. ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐ก๐๐ญ๐.
๐ง๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ณ ๐ ๐จ๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐๐.
