Nairobi: Kenya has strengthened its commitment to equitable justice with the launch of a new Legal Aid Centre at the Kibera Law Courts Complex, a development expected to significantly expand legal assistance for the vulnerable, low-income, and marginalized communities.
According to Kenya News Agency, the Centre, commissioned under the National Legal Aid Service (NLAS) programme, is part of a wider national roll-out designed to operationalize the Legal Aid Act, 2016, ensuring that no Kenyan is denied justice due to poverty, limited information, or geographical barriers.
In a speech delivered on his behalf by the National Assembly Deputy Speaker, Gladys Boss Shollei, the National Assembly Speaker, Moses Wetang’ula, described the launch as both timely and transformative. Wetang’ula viewed the initiative as a strong reaffirmation of the State’s duty under Article 48 of the Constitution, which obligates government institutions to guarantee that justice is not hindered by cost, bureaucracy, or procedural rigidity.
He noted that despite ongoing legal and institutional reforms, many Kenyans continue to encounter justice-related challenges that they cannot navigate without professional assistance. The Speaker stressed that a fair and responsive justice system must deliberately accommodate vulnerable and marginalized groups, including widows seeking succession services, children entangled in the justice chain, victims of crime, survivors of gender-based violence, informal workers, and communities grappling with land or tenancy disputes.
Wetang’ula commended the Office of the Attorney General for steering the programme with consistency, innovation, and strong alignment to national justice priorities. He further affirmed Parliament’s commitment to strengthening legal frameworks that support legal aid services and ensuring adequate budgetary allocations to sustain such operations across the country.
The Attorney General (AG), Dorcas Oduor, pointed out that the Centre represents a major leap forward in realizing Kenya’s promise of inclusive justice. She described Kibera, a community with pressing legal needs, as a fitting site for the programme’s expansion and said the Government remains committed to ensuring that justice services are ‘visible, accessible, professional, and trusted.’
Oduor announced that 90 newly recruited State Counsels have already been deployed across all counties, with two based at the Kibera Legal Aid Centre. Their duties, she stated, will include offering legal screening, facilitating alternative dispute resolution, coordinating pro-bono advocates, and supporting community education initiatives. The AG described the new legal aid model as deliberate, establishing that the Centres are equipped with private service booths, solar power, virtual court capability, and spaces for mediation and victim support.
The Principal Secretary (PS) for Justice, Human Rights, and Constitutional Affairs, Judith Pareno, praised accessibility as the guiding principle behind the new Centres, emphasizing ‘they are designed as open doors for every Kenyan to begin their justice journey, without hindrance’. She pointed to the container-based model mobile, solar-powered, and community-friendly as a cost-effective formula that enables the State to decentralize legal services rapidly and sustainably.
Mombasa Governor, Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir, revealed that Mombasa County has been experiencing increasing legal needs, arising from land matters, child protection, gender-based violence, tenancy conflicts, and property disputes. Nassir announced that his County will establish six Sub-county legal aid clinics, each focusing on high-demand areas and community-specific challenges.
Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) Chairperson, Issack Hassan, also delivered remarks, praising the Attorney General for strengthening community-based justice. Hassan urged NLAS to extend its reach to remote and refugee-hosting regions, where stateless persons, refugees, vulnerable youths, and displaced families often lack access to legal assistance.
