General

The on-going judicial reforms in Kenya call for public engagement and participation for people to understand the changes taking place, and especially so with the increasing search for justice, accountable and integrity driven leadership.

As elections are the cornerstone for any vibrant democracy, the role of the people and institutions like the judiciary ought to play active role in creating an environment where the people can participate freely, fairly , peacefully democratically and with trust that the judiciary is in place to settle any elections related disputes.

Coming from a background where violence was and has been used as the methods to express dissatisfaction around elections and settlement of elections related disputes, the Constitution of Kenya has created new institutions of governance and given powers to others to exercise these powers on behalf of the people. They therefore ought to function properly, ensure and guarantee people that they can exercise their rights while being responsible citizens.

As we move towards the March 4th Elections, the engagement with the people towards their participation in the elections and how these relate to the on-going judicial reforms is eminent. This is geared towards enhancing trust creation around the judiciary, as the organ to promote and protect the administration and access to justice in Kenya. It is based on this where a consultative forum has been organised by KAS to;

a)Revisit what informs administration and access of justice in Kenya and the role of the judiciary

b)Engage Kenyans on the laid down constitutional obligations on matters of administration and access to justice, and the role of Judiciary in relation to the forthcoming elections

c)Deepen understanding and messaging around peace while in search of jus-tice and accountability through elections and the on-going Judicial Reforms