The CGHRD – Kenya was formed by Ms RACHAEL MWIKALI and Mr Calleb David Otieno, after a study that was conducted in Awendo Constituency in Migori County titled “Assessment of the Work of the Grassroots Human Rights Defenders in Rural Areas, A Case Study of Awendo Constituency in Migori County, Kenya ” by Calleb David Otieno which found out that the GHRDs working in rural areas and slums or low-income areas are in most cases not targeted by the mainstream organizations defending HRDs and that majority of GHRDs did not understand various provisions of the Constitution of Kenya, acts, local, regional and international instruments for enforcing human rights and Gender Justice. The GHRDs also did not have a network that brings them together.

The study recommended the formation of a network that can bring GHRDs across the country together so that they can have a platform where they can offer solidarities among themselves during times when they face risks and threats, and conducting periodic training targeting the GHRDs with a view of building their capacity regarding means of enforcing human rights hence the formation of the CGHRDs – Kenya.

The CGHRD – Kenya seeks to streamline the voices of GHRDs in Kenya in fighting Gross Human Rights Violations in Kenya and beyond. CGHRD – Kenya does this by organizing GHRDs in slums and rural areas into clusters that can work together, offer solidarity among them, and document and share information regarding Gross Human Rights Violations in their communities.

CGHRD – Kenya encourages the GHRDs to within their clusters, pull resources together to fight build solidarity, and offer a rapid response in cases where the GHRDs have been faced with direct threats pending support from the mainstream organizations offering support to HRDs at risk.

The main activities of CGHRD – Kenya are:

• Mobilizing GHRDs to form clusters in their communities for purposes of offering solidarity among them and documenting and sharing cases of human rights violations in their communities
• Organizing meetings where the GHRDs and Feminists can learn from each other
• Organizing exchange programs between different clusters of GHRDs
• Organizing GHRDs to shape policies regarding Human Rights and Social Justice
• Organizing specific training for the GHRDs on various relevant topics
• Create social media platforms for the GHRDs to share information and ideas among them easily
• Running the Social Justice and Movement Building Fellowship Program targeting GHRDs to enhance their work

Structure of CGHRD – Kenya  

The CGHRD – Kenya is structured into 8 regions styled along the former Kenyan 8 provinces namely:

1. Nyanza Region – composed of 6 Counties namely; Homa Bay, Kisumu, Siaya, Kisii, Migori, and Nyamira counties

2. Western Region – composed of 4 counties namely; Busia, Vihiga, Bungoma, and Kakamega counties

3. Rift Valley Region – composed of 15 Counties namely; Baringo, Bomet, Elgeyo Marakwet, Kericho, Laikipia, Nakuru, Samburu, Turkana, Nandi, Narok, Uasin Gishu, Marsabit, West Pokot, Trans Nzoia and Kajiado counties

4. Central Region – composed of 5 counties namely; Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Muranga, Nyandarua, and Nyeri counties

5. Nairobi Region – Composed of 1 county namely Nairobi County

6. Eastern Region – composed of 8 counties namely; Embu, Isiolo, Machakos, Makueni, Marsabit, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, and Kitui counties

7. North Eastern Region – composed of 3 counties namely; Wajir, Garissa, and Mandera counties

8. Coast Region – composed of 5 counties namely; Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu, Mombasa, and Taita Taveta counties

• Each region has a coordinator who coordinates activities in the counties.
• Each county also has a county coordinator who will help in coordinating activities in each of the counties.
• Each county is supposed to have at least 10 GHRDs clusters with each cluster having at least 15 GHRDs.

Currently, CGHRD – Kenya has a presence in the following counties:

1. Migori, Homa Bay, Siaya and Kisumu Counties in Nyanza Region

2. Embu and Machakos Counties in Eastern Region

3. Trans Nzoia, Nakuru and Turkana in Rift Valley Region

4. Kiambu County in Central Region

5. Nairobi County in Nairobi Region

6. Mombasa, Kwale and Taita Taveta in Coast Region