- Head of AU secretariat William Carew says the health of Kenyan civil society is strong and encouraging
- He lauded the lobbies for forging partnerships and solidarity with other activist outfits to push for common agenda, amplify their voice and lend credence to causes they champion
Kenyan civil society groups have got a shot in the arm after a top African Union organ expressed confidence in the quality of their work.
Head of secretariat of AU’s Economic, Social and Cultural Council William Carew said Kenya's civil society is robust in and strategic in pushing for pro-people policies.
“The health of Kenyan civil society is strong and encouraging. They are strategic in pushing for matters that directly affect the people and they have been consequential in their work,” he said.
Carew particularly praised the society for actively agitating for policy change in the country. He citied the promulgation of the current constitution, in which the civil society played a role by forming pressure groups to have it enacted.
“The groups have been focused in their areas of agitation and this has seen them be impactful in pushing for meaningful policies and change,” he said, asking other lobbies in the continent to emulate the Kenyan groups.
Carew spoke to the Star on the sidelines of the UN conference on Civil society happening in Nairobi.
Civil societies have been vocal in campaigning against vices like extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearance, land and environmental rights, justice for marginalised and indigenous communities, FGM practices, governance issues like corruption and constitutionalism, among others.
In many cases, their work have led to policy reforms and institutional change.
He also lauded the lobbies for forging partnerships and solidarity with other activist outfits in the country to push for common agenda, amplify their voice and lend credence to causes they champion.
“I particularly admire the group’s ability to form alliances around the thematic areas they champion because this adds weight to their voice and makes the duty bearers take them seriously,” he said.
“Lobbies are effective when they join forces and work together in pushing for matters they believe in, including holding duty bearers accountable.
"The entities are also unique in forming strategic collaboration with government bodies to ensure that their issues are understood and affect policy directly,” he added.
The seriousness of a lobby group is the impact it has on the lives of ordinary people for whom it champions issues, Carew said. A data-based approach makes the work of the lobbies measurable.
One such initiative bringing lobbies together to better champion issues is the Missing Voices coalition.
This is a collective platform by entities that campaign against extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearance, documenting the incidences and following up with criminal justice actors to influence reform.
Missing Voices churns out data annually, with a website that gives live updates on new cases and their progress in the criminal justice chain.
Carew urged non-state entities, including media houses, to enlist with the council to better form partnerships that translate into meaningful impact.
Jonathan Sandy, the head of the council's Peace and Security cluster said the lobbies as well as the media have a role to play in beefing up the security architecture of the country and Africa. Hence, he said, both the media and societies should enlist with the organ.