A paralegal in Kericho County Mr. Joel Kibet arap Soi is fronting for sensitization of communities on ways to access justice systems to ensure their rights and privileges were upheld.
Soi underscored the critical role they play in bridging the gap between the public and justice system to enable vulnerable and marginalized groups to access justice.
In an interview with KNA at his office in Tabaita village within Soin/Sigowet sub-county, Soi who oversees Soin/Sigowet and Belgut sub-counties said there was an urgent need to educate community members on Kenyan laws governing children’s and family rights.
He added that citizens should seek justice through established legal and arbitration channels, noting that not all disputes should be resolved through informal or so called kangaroo courts.
“During my engagements with communities, I have observed with concern that in Soin/Sigowet sub-county, a section of the community does not regard the education of the girl as a priority.
As a result, girls are often engaged in early marriages once they come of age. Additionally, cases of defilement are rarely treated as criminal offences, which is particularly troubling given that the law is explicit on sexual offences involving minors,” said Paralegal Soi.
He disclosed that last year, his office received file defilement cases from Soin/Sigowet sub-county in which families attempted to resolve the matters through informal mechanisms. The cases are now pending before court with pro bono lawyers providing legal representation to the victims. He further revealed that in the current month alone, the office is handling three cases involving girls rescued from early marriages.
“Girls in this Tabaita village continue to face a high risk of early marriage and defilement, largely due to limited awareness of the rights of the girl child. On average, four to five defilement cases from this village are reported to my office every month. Deep cultural attitudes persist within sections of this community where girls are still viewed as undeserving of education and are instead expected to be married off upon reaching puberty.
Additionally, during my community engagements, I have observed a widespread misconception that female children are not entitled to inherit their deceased parents’ property. These practices expose girls to abuse and systematic discrimination, underscoring the urgent need for sustained community sensitization on child protection laws, the rights of the girl child and the provisions of the Law of Succession Act,” he added.
Soi, a member of the Paralegal Society of Kenya (PSC) called on the national government to employ more paralegals arguing that the vast coverage area and limited staffing hinder effective community education on laws governing children and family rights, as guaranteed under the Constitution.
“There is a stark imbalance in the distribution of paralegal services across Kericho County, which has only nine paralegals serving six sub-counties. Ainamoi has five paralegals, while Soin/Sigowet and Belgut are covered by a single officer. Londiani, Bureti and Kipkelion sub-counties each have only one paralegal,” said Soi.
He said the disparity underscores the urgent need to train and deploy more paralegals, noting that the elderly population lacked awareness of children rights particularly those of the girl child as well as family rights, more so the inheritance rights of children under Kenya’s law of succession act where all children regardless of religion, gender or birth status have equal rights to inherit from their deceased parents.
The Kericho paralegal also raised concern over lack of safe houses for survivors of defilement and early marriages in the County, saying the gap exposes victims to further harm.
“There is need to establish safe houses for survivors of defilement and early marriages as they act as entry points for essential services including medical care, trauma counseling, legal aid and police follow-up while they continue with their education. Without safe houses, survivors remain exposed, silenced and denied the opportunity to heal and pursue justice,” noted Soi.
Paralegals in Kenya help bridge the gap between communities and the justice system by offering legal awareness, basic advice and support to vulnerable groups.
They assist people to understand their rights, guide survivors of rights violations and link community members to courts, police, lawyers and social services. Paralegals also play a key role in community education, dispute resolution and grassroots advocacy for human rights and the rule of law.
By Sarah Njagi
