Grassroots Human Rights Defenders (GHRDs) and social movements play an important role in Kenyan Civil Society. GHRDs are often the ones present on the ground, documenting cases, collecting evidence and speaking to victims and community members. As such, they are very visible and vulnerable to possible aggressors, but may lack the resources and the networks to provide for adequate protection. Since its inception, PBI Kenya has been providing solidarity and protection to GHRDs and support to social justice processes. Additionally, PBI Kenya continues to actively increase the reach and visibility of GHRDs in Nairobi’s urban settlements.
After 3 years of regular mandatory visits to court for participating in a peaceful anti-corruption demonstration on the 13th February 2014, the Kenyan High Court has finally quashed the charges against our partners from Bunge La Mwananchi on 28th June 2017. The initial charge, ‘rioting after a proclamation’, is an outdated charge from the British colonial era which contradicts the Kenyan 2010 Constitution.
On January 7th PBI Kenya’s partner Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC) celebrated the official opening of their new office in Mathare. At the event, PBI was proud to present MSJC’s administrative coordinator Stephen Kinuthia Mwangi with the Invisible Mandelas award, which he accepted on behalf of the members of MSJC. 
Mathare-based human rights defender Ruth Mumbi and her family recently reached an important milestone in the search for justice for the alledged extrajudicial killing (EJK) of Mumbi’s brother-in-law Stephen Gichuru in May 2015.
In August, PBI Kenya facilitated a meeting between the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC).
This year PBI is celebrating its 35th anniversary, and to honour the occasion PBI UK held a conference on June 17th with a focus on building enabling environments for human rights defenders (HRDs) at risk. The conference featured UN Special Rapporteur Michel Forst as the keynote speaker, and included several panels with participants from backgrounds in government, law, INGOs, and HRDs from Latin America, Nepal, and Kenya.
In early June, Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC) and PAWA254 collaborated on a graffiti workshop in Mathare to officially launch MSJC’s ‘Art against violence’ campaign.
In March and April Kenyan HRD Gacheke Gachihi from Bunge la Mwananchi and Mathare Social Justice Centre has been on a highly successful speaking tour through the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Ireland, following a three-month fellowship at the University of York.
From 14-18 March PBI Kenya organised and facilitated a human rights training at Lake Elementaita, led by three experienced defence lawyers practising in the UK and Dubai.