An LGBTQ rights organization in Kenya has revealed a new virtual legal aid platform that allows queer people free access to help from professional lawyers. According to the Washington Blade, The Center for Minority Rights and Strategic Litigation (CMRSL) launched the program after seeing a need for it in their community.
“The LGBTQ+ Online Legal Aid Clinic is, we believe, the first of its kind in Kenya providing pro bono legal advice services directly to the LGBTQ community,” their website states. In Kenya, LGBTQ+ rights and protections are still very limited. According to Equaldex, homosexuality is still illegal and punishable by imprisonment and same-sex marriage remains banned.
CMRSL is an organization made up of about 20 volunteer advocates who help facilitate programs and resources for the community in advocacy, civic education, litigation and more. The new service extends a previous clinic launched by CMRSL in 2020. A physical legal aid clinic which consolidated the volunteer lawyers’ free legal services has been offered since 2007. Kenya’s organization was able to set up these clinics with financial funding from the Canadian government. CMRSL advocate, Michael Kioko, told The Washington Blade, “We noted that we could reach people far across the country like Kakuma Refugee Camp where we have attended to LGBTQ refugees and also realized that we could work with more volunteer advocates across the nation.”
Since 2020, both the online and remote legal aid clinics have helped over 1,000 clients, and the online platform receives around 40 cases a month.
