The right by a country’s citizenship to exercise power through free and fair elections is what makes our democracy and self-government possible.
In Kenya the electoral process remains a multi-stakeholder joint responsibility to ensure security and credibility of elections. Prosecutors need to be equipped with sufficient knowledge skills as fair, efficient, timely, and effective settlement of electoral disputes is a crucial component of achieving the goal of having a successful electoral process.
To enhance awareness on this, AGA-Africa in collaboration with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Kenya held a 4-day workshop on “Prosecution of Election Offences and Hate Speech” from 4th-7th April, 2022 in Nairobi, Kenya.
The training was aimed at equipping the participants with knowledge on election laws and emerging criminal jurisprudence in the electoral field as well as increasing their competencies in the handling of such cases for effective and efficient prosecution of election offences. This will in turn facilitate the fair, efficient, timely, and effective settlement of electoral disputes.
The training was officially opened by Dorcas Oduor, Secretary, Public Prosecutions and the Principal Deputy, ODPP, with opening remarks by Markus Green Esq, AGA-Africa Board Member and keynote addresses by Her Ladyship Martha Koome, Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court of Kenya, Noordin Haji, Director of Public Prosecutions Kenya, Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, Director of Public Prosecution, Ghana, Wafula Chebukati, Chairperson, Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission, Kenya, Ezra Chiloba, Director General, Communications Authority of Kenya, Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia, Chairman of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, Protas Saende, Chairman ICJ, Jedidah Wakunyu Waruhiu, Human Rights Defender, Eric Theuri, President, Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and Anne Makori, Independent Policing Oversight Authority(IPOA).
The sessions interactive and informative, were facilitated by seasoned subject matter experts: Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, Director of Public Prosecution, Ghana, Lesley French, Chief of Staff, Office of the Texas Attorney General, Alisha Jackson, Assistant Attorney General, General Counsel Division, Texas Attorney General’s Office, Donna Kelly, Adjunct Professor, Election Law, Seton Hall University, School of Law, Victor Mule, Acting Deputy Director, Department of County Affairs, Regulatory Services, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Kenya, Jacinta Nyamosi, Acting Deputy Director, Department of Offences Against the Person, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Kenya, James Warui, Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Ruby Okoth, Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Alloys Kembo, Senior Principal Prosecution Counsel, Kofi Kye-Duodu, Head, Procurement Department, Electoral Commission of Ghana, Monica Chipanta Mwansa, Head, General and Appeals Department, National Prosecution Authority, Zambia, Dr. Conrad Bosire, Adjunct Lecturer, Strathmore University Law School, Nairobi, Stephen Kiptinness, Senior Partner, Technology and Intellectual Property (TIP) Practice, Moses Owuor, Senior Legal Advisor, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) Kenya and Evans Ogada, Public Interest Litigation.
The training was officially brought to an end by Mary Mwenje, Deputy Head Prosecution Training Institute at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
