The European Union and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime have donated various electronic equipment valued at thousands of shillings to enhance effectiveness in Kenya’s criminal justice sector.
The EU and UNODC, through the Programme for Legal Empowerment and Aid Delivery in Kenya (PLEAD) have enhanced partnership, marked and commemorated the Nelson Mandela International Day by making a difference in Kenya, specifically in the justice sector.
The technical equipment donated includes 444 laptops, 166 printers, 37 scanners, various furniture and 12 videoconferencing devices.
They were donated to the Judiciary, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Witness Protection Agency, the Probation and Aftercare Service as well as to the National Police Service and National Council on the Administration of Justice.
The equipment will be instrumental in realizing the implementation of the Nelson Mandela Rules by enabling the decongestion of prisons and expediting and enhancing access to justice for pre-trial detainees, enhancing the protection of at-risk witnesses, and in promoting e-justice in the post-Covid-19 digital era.
According to the agencies, the equipment was identified and procured based on a needs assessment, which was conducted by UNODC to identify and resolve bottlenecks in the criminal justice chain.
EU Ambassador to Kenya Katrin Hagemann said the donation is particularly to support the efforts to digitalize the justice system and it demonstrates their commitment to sustaining justice chain operations.
“We are here to commemorate this day by formally handing over equipment to criminal justice institutions in Kenya that will go a long way in easing the access to, and administration of justice,” Hagemann said Friday.
She added the programme supports progress towards Goal 16 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by contributing towards effective, accountable and inclusive justice institutions.
“Strengthening the administration of justice will further assist Kenya to sustain a peaceful environment that will promote investment and job creation,” Hagemann said.
UNODC Regional Head of the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme, Charity Kagwi reiterated their support, which aims to promote efficiency in the administration of justice and alternatives to imprisonment.
She said that the PLEAD programme offers hope for the ordinary Mwananchi who, through which will continuously experience enhanced service delivery.
“The UNODC has continuously upscaled its support to its partners including strengthening the overall response coordination mechanisms to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Kagwi.
The programme is a partnership between Kenya, the EU and the United Nations that is improving the delivery of justice and the use of alternatives to imprisonment.
The partnership is supporting government reforms that are modernizing Kenya’s criminal justice sector for the benefit of all citizens.
Launched in 2018, this five-year Justice Sector program is the largest of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa and has committed 34.15 million Euros to government reforms and capacity building within the criminal justice sector.