LAMU, Kenya — The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has issued a stern warning to residents of Lamu County against resolving sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) cases through informal community “kangaroo courts,” cautioning that such practices undermine justice and violate survivors’ rights.
Speaking during a community sensitisation event at Kauthara in Hindi Division, Prosecution Counsel Ahmed Mohamed — representing the ODPP’s Lamu office — said informal dispute-resolution forums risk silencing survivors and obstructing formal legal processes.
He said that while community mediations may appear convenient, they deny victims due process and legal protection.
“Addressing sexual offences through unofficial means undermines years of progress in tackling SGBV,” Mr. Mohamed said, stressing that survivors deserve full legal protection and access to formal justice mechanisms.
The gathering — part of the ongoing national observance of Child Justice Month — brought together justice actors, including members of the local Court Users Committee, who raised alarm over a rising number of SGBV cases in the county.
The ODPP highlighted particular concern over incidents affecting children, whether as direct survivors or as vulnerable members of households impacted by the abuse.
At the event, officials outlined proper procedures for reporting sexual offences, emphasising prompt reporting and careful preservation of evidence to support robust prosecutions. Parents and guardians were also reminded of their responsibility to safeguard children’s rights, with failure to act potentially attracting legal consequences.
The ODPP’s caution comes amid renewed calls by government officials to dismantle informal justice systems for SGBV.
In November 2025, the Permanent Secretary in the State Department for Gender Affairs called for the immediate abolition of community-based “kangaroo courts” for handling SGBV, saying such unofficial forums deny survivors justice and enable impunity for perpetrators.
Under Kenya’s constitutional framework, the ODPP — mandated under Article 157 as an independent prosecutorial authority — is responsible for instituting and conducting criminal prosecutions on behalf of the state, including SGBV offences.
Its specialised SGBV division processes, prosecutes, and guides investigations to ensure adherence to legal standards and protection of victims.
The move by the ODPP in Lamu underscores broader national efforts to strengthen access to justice for survivors of SGBV — especially children — and to discourage reliance on informal settlements that risk retraumatizing victims and undermining accountability.
Going forward, the ODPP urged communities to report SGBV incidents promptly, cooperate with law enforcement, and allow the formal justice process to run its course, as part of a sustained drive to uphold human dignity, deter abuse, and restore public trust in the rule of law.
