Land, Housing and Litigation

The Land, Housing and Litigation program supports the organization’s overall goal through various interventions in advocating for the realization of the right to adequate housing as envisioned under Article 43 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010. The programme targets community-based networks, government agencies, civil society organizations and other relevant organizations and actors. In a bid to support marginalized communities to champion for the progressive realization of the right to adequate housing, we seek to address several basic and crucial rights inalienable to this right which includes inter alia; right to land; right to the highest attainable standard of health; right to reasonable standard of sanitation; right to clean and safe water in adequate quantities; and right to Education.

Through this programme, the Organization has actively engaged communities through community organizing and community stakeholder forums to empower and strengthen their capacity to champion for their right to housing and basic services and protect their livelihoods from forced evictions. The programme has enabled Communities to successfully litigate Court cases leading to favorable judgments that translate to security of tenure.

The organization has influenced policy dialogues and has been at the forefront in the review and development of various policies on housing including the Community Land Act, 2012; and National Slum Upgrading and Prevention Policy (Sessional Paper No.2 of March 2016) among others.

Through this programme, the Organization has enhanced the capacity of Judicial Officers and Lawyers. Subsequently, the organization has successfully recruited pro-bono Lawyers to provide legal aid services in addressing emerging human rights violations and provide legal assistance to marginalized communities.

The Organization has been at the forefront in developing a Parallel Report Submitted on the occasion of the 72nd Pre-Sessional Working Group of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the review of Kenya. The CSO’s observed that Kenya had taken steps to actualise its constitutional and international mandate by rolling out various policies and programmes aimed at ensuring the indigent, vulnerable and marginalized groups access justice.

The Organization has also partnered with the United Nations Habitat, Economic and Social Rights Network, Housing Coalition, Land Non-State Actors (LSNSA), Kenya Land Alliance (KLA), Pamoja Trust, Muungano wa Wanavijiji, Social Movements from different informal settlements in Nairobi, KISORA, Coast Land Non State Actors among other civil society organizations and community based networks.