2022 Elections: Katiba Institute Engage Community members on Electoral Security and Monitoring  

Katiba Institute conducted a training (29th and 30thJune, 2022) on electoral security and monitoring for communities.The two-day training, held in Mombasa, targeted human rights defenders and community leaders, from various parts of Mombasa County.  

“The training is part of KI’s continued collaborations with communities to promote public participation in governance. Communities are best placed in identifying the priority issues affecting them, thus interventions through these collaborations are community-led and community-owned. It is also important to cultivate a culture of civic responsibility for citizens to proactively hold governments accountable and participate effectively in political processes, “Patriciah Joseph, the Programs Manager at Katiba Institute said. 

In the context of the upcoming elections, she added that the training was critical for cultivating collective understanding on the principles underpinning the electoral process and the role of communities in realization of political rights under Article 38 of the Constitution and how they intersect with other rights such as security of the person, the right to access information; digital rights, freedom of expression and equality with the aim of promoting effective community participation in the electoral process.   

The training sought to sensitize communities on their political rights and responsibilities as well as their role in monitoring and ensuring electoral security, monitoring and reporting on human rights violations. To this end, participants collectively reflected on the electoral process and emerging issues on security, including early warning during elections; forms and drivers of electoral violence; gender violence in the context of elections and strengthening early response mechanisms.  

The meeting also discussed election monitoring and observation approaches and the role of the community in monitoring the electoral process. Furthermore, participants were taken through aspects of digital security to enable them appreciate digital rights and data protection as a whole, their intersection with fundamental human rights and freedoms under the Constitution as well as their relevance in the context of the electoral process.  

The training is part of community engagements on elections that Katiba Institute is undertaking in the Coastal, Nairobi and Western regions to promote free and fair elections. 

Written by Ruth Ogolla, Litigation Fellow at Katiba Institute and revised by Patriciah Joseph. 

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