Our Programs

Good Governance

Good governance is essential for economic development and social stability. There is a clear link between bad governance/poor leadership and most of the social problems in the society which include gender based violence, marginalization and exclusion of sections of the population notably women and youth, unemployment and high crime rates. Since the advent of multi- party politics, Kenya has made major democratic strides. The long struggle for constitutional reform culminated in a very progressive Constitution which was promulgated in August 2010. Despite this, the citizenry is to a large extent ignorant of their civic rights and duties and are apathetic towards political leadership. This translates into bad leadership choices, poor governance and failure to hold leaders to account. CEEC contributes to good governance by promoting civic engagement as well as inclusive participation of all members of the society, especially women and youth in governance, leadership and decision making at all levels.

Strategic Objective: To empower communities to actively participate in governance processes, and strengthen the capacity of duty bearers to effectively discharge their mandate transparently and with accountability.

Gender Equality

The Kenyan Constitution has a very progressive Bill of Rights, which provides in Article 27 for equality of men and women before the law; equal protection and benefit of the law; and equal opportunities in political, economic, cultural and social spheres. However, realization of gender equality is hampered by a deep rooted patriarchal social order which manifests in factors such as discriminative gender norms, ignorance, entrenched gender stereotypes, limited access to information, resource constraints, failure to enforce laws and policies on gender equality, and lack of political goodwill. This program aims at enhancing the capacity of communities to understand and address these obstacles.

Strategic Objective: To contribute to a society where everyone regardless of gender has equal access to resources, opportunities as well as equal representation and participation in social, economic and political sphere.

Human Rights

Protecting and promoting human rights is fundamental in creating a just and equitable society. Kenya’s 2010 Constitution has a progressive Bill of Rights that provides for specific rights for different members of the society. However, the country has a history of rampant violation of these rights by both state and non-state actors, with little or no redress. CEEC aims to build the capacity of communities as right holders in the target counties to claim and defend their rights and access justice.

Strategic Objective: To promote the protection and respect of the fundamental rights and freedoms of all individuals.

Peacebuilding

Kenya has experienced different forms of conflict since independence, which include ethno-political skirmishes, resource-based disputes, conflicts related to infrastructure developments and the extractive industry, as well as violent extremism. Yet, it is evident that sustainable development cannot be achieved in the absence of peace, and lasting peace can only be realized through the involvement of all segments of society. This program seeks to enhance communities’ capacity to effectively participate in peace processes, as well as equip them with positive conflict resolution and transformation skills. It also aims at promoting the participation of all members of the society, particularly women and youth who are normally locked out of mainstream peace processes. This comes from CEEC’s belief that lasting solutions are those that come from the communities themselves and those that do not exclude sections of the society.

Strategic Objective: To build communities capacities to address the root causes of conflict, manage diversity and promote social cohesion.