The Raoul Wallenberg Institute cooperation activities in Kenya began in 1992 when the University of Nairobi was included in the Institute’s literature acquisition project, which aimed at enhancing education and research capacity in the area of human rights at academic institutions in developing countries. In 1999, the Raoul Wallenberg Institute began to work more systematically with human rights capacity development in Kenya and then primarily in cooperation with government institutions, including institutions in the field of the administration of justice.
During 1999-2006, the Raoul Wallenberg Institute was involved in human rights training activities for a broad range of institutions and individuals in Kenya including representatives of the judiciary, police, correctional services, key government departments, media, civil society, government training institutes and the Office of the Attorney-General. Cooperation also extended to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.
During 2008-2011, the Institute implemented a cooperation programme focussed upon introducing sustainable human rights reforms and in particular reform-oriented capacity building through cooperation with the Kenya Prisons Service (KPS). Cooperation also included continued support to the University of Nairobi to strengthen opportunities for academic education as well as for targeted human rights training and education in Kenya on a long-term basis.
The Raoul Wallenberg Institute’s current (2012-2013) cooperation programme in Kenya aims to support human rights reforms in implementing the new Constitution of Kenya and operationalising key policy priorities and strategies, in line with international standards, as concerns in particular the fair, impartial and efficient administration of justice.
The programme includes further cooperation with the Kenya Prisons Service to create sustainable capacity within KPS to meet relevant international human rights standards, in particular the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, through targeted activities with the KPS Human Rights Office and Prisons Staff Training College. In addition, the programme works to strengthen human rights perspectives in the coordination between actors in the administration of justice in Kenya.
The Raoul Wallenberg Institute’s programme in Kenya is financially supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
For more information on the Institute’s cooperation in Kenya, please contact:
