What we aim for
Our current cooperation in Kenya with the Kenya Prison Service, and Probation and Aftercare Services of Kenya mainly focuses on increasing the capacity of the Kenyan Correctional Services to meet relevant international human rights standards for correctional services in particular, the Mandela Rules, Tokyo Rules and Bangkok Rules.
The current and second component of the Kenya Programme aims to contribute to the effective use of non-custodial measures through enhanced human rights perspectives and cooperation and coordination in the administration of justice.
To anchor the achievements of the Kenya Programme to date and to ensure sustainability of the steps taken towards increased compliance, the new phase of the Programme now focuses on policy and legislative reforms – in particular, providing continued support to the State Department for Correctional Services in development and implementation of the national correctional services policy, and embedding human rights structures within the KPS, PACS and other relevant justice sector actors as necessary.
How we work
We work with a unique set of methodologies. These have been developed over the years to enhance respect for human rights in correctional services including incorporating research as a cross-cutting component. Our research is guided by international human rights standards and informs evidence-based design of the Programme based on experiences, lessons and good practices within the Programme.
What We Have Achieved
An independent external evaluation of the Programme conducted in 2019 concluded that the Programme continues to "contribute to systemic change in increasing compliance towards international human rights standards within the correctional services". The Programme was also found to be effective in strengthening human rights capacity and evidence-based decision-making amongst duty-bearers within the correctional service and justice sector agencies.
Repeat audits conducted in a number of pilot prisons have shown consistent improvements in compliance with the Mandela Rules and other relevant standards since 2012.
The Programme has also recorded concrete examples of reforms by Kenya Prison Service (KPS) and Probation and Aftercare Services (PACS) officers and management including provision of information to prisoners and probationers, improved documentation systems, improved quality of reports submitted by probation officers to the courts, and new medical examination protocols – which were particularly useful in curbing the spread of Covid-19 within the Kenyan prisons.
A special project on assessment and classification of offenders in accordance with the Mandela Rules was launched in 2015, involving both KPS and PACS as well as the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, and has already resulted in improved decision-making about individual offenders based on risk and need. The assessment and classification project will be further developed under the Programme through a multi-stakeholder approach with justice sector actors.
In 2016, the partnership between RWI and KPS was awarded the Correctional Excellence Award for Management and Staff Training by the International Corrections and Prisons Association.
Kenya Programme Staff
Rakel Larsen
Rakel Larsen joined RWI in November 2020 as the Director of the Nairobi Office. She brings more than 15 years of work experience in refugee protection, displacement and human rights mainly from Sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to joining the RWI, she worked for the Danish Refugee Council with humanitarian response and protection of refugees and other displaced persons in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda and South Sudan.
Furthermore, she holds a Master’s in Law and a Master’s in African Studies (Human Rights and Development) from the University of Copenhagen.
Damaris Seina
Regional Africa Programme. Focal Point: African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum (APCOF), East African Community (EAC)
Damaris has worked at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute since 2015 as the Kenya Programme Officer and is responsible for planning, implementation and follow-up of cooperation projects in Kenya so as to achieve expected results.
Marion Cheredi
Marion Cheredi, Senior Programme Associate, has more than 10 years of experience with international organizations, most recently the World Agroforestry Centre. She has a degree in Business Administration and Management & Marketing, secondly is a diploma in Management and Development. Marion will focus particularly on adminstrative support to our bilateral cooperation in Kenya, as well as providing human resources support as the office continues to develop.
Mumbi Maina-Murimi
Eunice Ogolla
Eunice Ogolla is the Finance and Admin Officer at RWI Nairobi regional office and joined the Institute in February 2021. Prior to joining the institute she worked as an Accountant in the Humanitarian sector and supported Accounting across Africa. She has experience in Financial Reporting, Asset management, Treasury management, budgeting, taxation, Auditing and Internal Controls.
Eunice holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree(Accounting) from Strathmore University and is also an ACCA affiliate.
Nicholas Kioko
Nick Kioko is the Senior Finance and Admin Officer at RWI Nairobi regional office and joined the Institute in April 2020. Prior to joining the Institute, he worked as a Finance Manager in the humanitarian sector across the East African region. He has over 9 (nine) years of experience and expertise in top-level grant/donor and financial management, leadership, donor reporting and compliance, computerized financial management information systems, program administration, accounting, budgeting, auditing, internal controls, taxation and financial analysis. Nick holds a Bachelor of Arts (Economics, Sociology and Psychology) from Kenyatta University. He is also a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya (CPA- K).
Visit the Nairobi Office
Address
3rd Floor, Lenana Towers
Lenana Road
P.O. Box 1590-00606, Nairobi, Kenya
Phone +254 (0) 796 730 518
Email: nairobi@rwi.lu.se