Kenyan Campaign Platform

Summary

The World AIDS Campaign has been involved in Kenya since 2007 supporting development of a civil society platform consisting of the national network of PLHIV, women's organisations, youth groups, MSM groups, the treatment movement and faith based organisations.

During the first National Kenya HIV Campaigners Meeting in 2007, under a prior European Union-funded project, a steering committee was formed comprising NEPHAK, KECOFATUMA, KETAM, and KANCO. Within that group of agencies, KANCO was selected as the coordinating partner, with the approval of all stakeholders. A repeat cycle of focused consultation liaison, World AIDS Day activity and full National Campaigners Meeting was held November 2008 to March 2009. The second campaigner’s meeting focused on the engagement and experiences of HIV civil society in organizing and mobilizing actions for key events e.g. World AIDS Day. It also explored how civil society can be strengthened for campaigning and mobilization on HIV and AIDS to ensure sustainability of the AIDS campaign in Kenya and ownership of the campaign by Kenya civil society. A second-stage action plan was developed as an outcome of the meeting and the steering committee, with the support of World AIDS Campaign, has been following up on implementation. During the June 2009 Africa Regional Meeting hosted by WAC in Nairobi, the opportunity was taken by WAC Programme staff to meet with the campaign network.

Programme Partners

• National Empowerment Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya (NEPHAK)
• Kenya AIDS NGOs Consortium (KANCO)
• Kenya consortium to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (KECOFATUMA)
• Kenya Treatment Access Movement (KETAM)
• Global Business Coalition (GBC)
• Kenya Network of Religious Leaders Living with HIV and AIDS (KENERELA+)
• Kenya network of women with HIV/AIDS (KENWA)

Mission and Vision

• An inclusive and diverse PLHIV movement-centered, civil society-led structure that is sustainable;
• A structure which thinks and acts strategically to achieve Universal Access through campaigning, advocacy and lobbying; and
• A structure, which is realistic about the need to act with others regionally and globally in addressing the barriers to achieving Universal Access.

Current Campaigns

Key Issues identified by the civil society platform include:

• Treatment interruptions (Drug stock outs)
• Review of the Kenya Constitution to include Economic, social and cultural Rights.
• A campaign on TB treatment with a focus on MDR- TB

In 2009/10 the campaign focus has been on two pieces of legislation; the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act and the HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 2006, which included in its non-activated clauses a HIV and AIDS Tribunal to deal with stigma and discrimination against PLHIV in an accessible informal court setting. In 2010 the operation of the Tribunal was approved by Parliament and it is now being formed. If successful, the Tribunal will set a good precedent in the African region. The campaign now is focusing on getting adequate resource allocation for operation of the Tribunal. Campaigners are also working on the constitution for the inclusion for economic, social and cultural rights, which is now included in the new constitution.

Other

KANCO is a premier national membership network of NGO’s, CBOs and Faith based organisations involved or have interest in HIV and AIDS activities in Kenya.

We worked with partners in Kenya on the review of the National Strategic plan and the review of the national constitution to include social, economic and cultural rights.

We provided e-advice with the planning of their World AIDS Day acvtivities

Between 2007 and 2009 GNP+ worked with KANCO, KECOFATUMA, NEPHAK, NETMA and KETMA to develop a civil society platform. This work was completed by 2009. (add link to the research). WAC and GNP+, supported by DFID and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organised a workshop on skills development around advocacy and campaigning and research toolkits in May 2010. Out of this workshop the following emerged as priorities:

Greater involvement of PLHIV to be included as a policy on all government level

An HIV tribunal court to be resourced by government