The Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA-Kenya) is a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization established in 1985 whose vision is a society that upholds and respects women's rights. FIDA-Kenya’s mission is to promote women’s individual and collective power to claim their rights in all spheres of life. To realize its vision and mission, FIDA Kenya provides legal aid to disadvantaged women and girls and engages in human rights advocacy in accordance with both national and international law.

The Youth Café (TYC) is a Pan-African, not-for-profit organization, established in 2012, that empowers Africa's youth to drive transformative change in democratic governance, human rights advocacy, and inclusive civic spaces. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, TYC operates through regional focal points across West, East, and Southern Africa, serving as a dynamic hub for youth empowerment and community resilience. As Africa’s largest and most diverse network of youth professionals, TYC mobilizes a powerful coalition of over 3,500 member organizations, 1,200 experts, and nearly 950,000 individual members to advance youth-led solutions that shape the continent's future.

The Elections Observation Group (ELOG) is a permanent, citizen-led, domestic election observation coalition with a vision to achieve credible, peaceful, free, and fair electoral processes in Kenya and the African region by providing a sustainable monitoring and observation platform that fosters transparent, inclusive and accountable electoral processes.

Background

FIDA-K, KNCHR, The Youth Cafe, and ELOG adopted an electoral cycle approach and observed the pre-electoral environment, election, and post-election environments by closely monitoring the participation of special interest groups (SIG) in the electoral processes. After that, the Technical Working Group on Elections, convened by ELOG and comprising FIDA-K, The Youth Cafe, and KNCHR, held a Post-Election Observers symposium. This meeting resulted in a report titled "Catalyzing Change: Strategies for Transforming Kenya's Electoral Landscape," which provided insights and recommendations for improving the electoral process.

The report highlighted several factors that have hindered the full and effective participation of special interest groups (SIGs) comprised of women, youth, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and marginalized groups in Kenya's electoral processes. These factors include low voter registration rates among SIGs, inadequate voter education, flawed voter registration processes, lack of disaggregated data, and insufficient stakeholder engagement.

The key priority areas of electoral reforms were developed in 2022 through collaboration with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and partners. These areas were refined during subsequent meetings and included themes such as the legal framework, voter education, and electoral dispute resolution.

FIDA-Kenya in partnership with ELOG, The Youth Cafe, and KNCHR convened a retreat in March to focus on implementing electoral reforms to enhance women's participation and involvement of Special Interest Groups (SIGs) in Kenya's electoral processes. The objectives included formulating a collaborative strategy for SIGs' participation, updating the framework for priority reforms, and establishing a monitoring mechanism leading to the 2027 elections. The discussions also highlighted the importance of special interest groups (SIGs) in electoral processes.

In this regard, FIDA- KENYA jointly with The Youth Cafe and ELOG under the auspices of the TWG on elections would like to convene a two-day technical meeting on 23rd-24th September 2024 to develop a joint working plan as well as track the progress on the implementation of the priority areas that were consolidated during the last electoral cycle. This will also offer a platform to identify the challenges that have made the implementation of the reforms that were identified during the previous electoral cycle not to be realized and this will enable a discussion on the strategies to employ to achieve the successful implementation of the identified reforms in the current electoral cycle.

Justification

During the conference, the TWG identified some important areas that require further attention in the electoral landscape, such as the inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWDs). Additionally, it was noted that individuals with mental disabilities, like autism and dyslexia, may experience unique challenges in exercising their right to vote. It is crucial to consider how these limitations can be addressed to ensure that all citizens can participate fully and equally in the electoral process.

Moreover, the younger generation, known as "Gen Z," is emerging as an influential force in the political landscape. The recent unrest in Kenya has underscored the need for inclusive political participation and representation, particularly for women, youth, marginalized groups, and PWDs. President Ruto's use of social media platforms, such as X Space, to host interactive dialogues, exemplifies an innovative approach to engaging with these groups. By promoting open and honest discussion, technology-enabled political engagement can help to break down barriers and encourage broader participation in the democratic process.

In light of these challenges and opportunities, convening a meeting to deliberate effective strategies for increasing the participation of special interest groups, including women, youth, marginalized communities, and PWDs, is justified. This meeting will provide a platform to exchange ideas and identify concrete actions that can be taken to address the unique barriers faced by these groups. By bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders, we can work

towards a more inclusive and participatory democracy that reflects the voices and perspectives of all citizens.

Conference Objectives

i) Review the established priority areas for reforms, track the achieved milestones, and address the challenges that hindered implementation to date.

ii) Brainstorm effective strategies to realize priority areas, especially the reforms identified during the previous electoral cycle.

iii) Develop an action plan by civil society organizations and duty bearers on the implementation of priority reforms that were developed during the previous electoral cycle

Expected Outcomes/Outputs

a) Strengthening of synergies among the TWG to ease the implementation of the interventions in the next electoral cycle.

b) Development and adoption of a joint action plan that will be geared towards championing for timely enactment of key recommendations during the current electoral cycle.

Conference Methodology

The retreat will provide an interactive platform which will incorporate the following:

a) Key presentations of the matrix on the SIG priority reform areas.

b) Breakout sessions whereby the stakeholders (duty-bearers and civil society organization leaders) will brainstorm to agree on a multi-stakeholder joint-action plan towards interventions geared toward increasing the participation of SIGs in the current electoral cycle.

c) Plenary discussions.

d) Mapping of conveners who