The Legal Aid Caravan is an outreach initiative led by the Strathmore Law Clinic, a student-run initiative dedicated to promoting access to justice, legal education and outreach especially to the grassroots communities. The caravan travels to underserved and remote areas to offer free legal guidance and empower residents with knowledge of their rights. By addressing widespread issues such as land disputes, succession challenges, domestic violence and community-level injustices, the initiative helps bridge the gap between communities and the formal justice system.

The philosophy behind the Legal Aid Caravan

Narok County is home to the Maasai who are constitutionally recognized as a marginalized community alongside the Kipsigis. Southern Rift Valley  struggles with a range of legal challenges, including cattle rustling, banditry, ethnic violence, gender-based violence (GBV) and land disputes. Underdevelopment and deeply rooted customary beliefs often hinder access to legal services and the formal justice system. Resource-based conflicts exacerbate these challenges, leading to human rights concerns and displacement.

Building on lessons learned from previous caravans, the law clinic identified key legal areas requiring intervention: land law,  family law , criminal law and community-specific issues around resource conflicts. The 2024 caravan in Isiolo demonstrated the effectiveness of providing legal awareness sessions in local languages and offering one-on-one consultations.

The Legal Aid Caravan is guided by the philosophy that access to justice is a fundamental human right and a foundation of equity and meaningful participation in society. In areas like Narok, residents face numerous barriers, including low legal literacy, cultural dynamics, long distances to courts and administrative offices and limited trust in authorities. These factors make them vulnerable to exploitation and marginalization. By promoting access to justice, the caravan empowers residents to understand and claim their rights. 

Legal Aid Caravan 2025, Narok County

“The Legal Aid Caravan 2025 in Narok County was the largest to date,” says Josephine Kairo, a graduate assistant seconded to the law clinic. 

“We were operating simultaneously across Narok East and Narok West. These regions are shaped by historical marginalisation, communal land ownership systems and persistent gaps in legal literacy,” she adds.

Many communities in Narok rely on traditional dispute-resolution mechanisms which, while culturally significant, are sometimes unable to address modern legal issues. Formal justice institutions such as courts and administrative offices are often located far from the villages, creating physical and financial barriers that leave residents dependent on informal systems that may not always protect vulnerable groups.

During the caravan, the team visited nine locations eventually interacting with an estimated 1,000 individuals.

“Once buried in the sentences a majority of us read in ‘Blossoms of the Savannah,’ the culture of the Maa people now rose before us as a living, breathing reality. What had been, for some of us, a literary analysis in our teenage years transformed into a physical encounter, one we carried with us into the caravan,” says Nicole Kumenda, one of the clinicians. 

Key Legal Issues Identified on the Ground 

The major issue that arose during the caravan was the high number of land and succession disputes. The Kenyan constitution states that any inhibitor to the possession or the use of rightfully owned land can be seen as an affront to the person and a denial of his rights. Unfortunately, the current situation in the country denotes such. 

In many of these disputes, the centre of the matter is that one party was intoxicated at the time of signing. Because their judgment was impaired, they may not fully grasp the terms or context of the agreement. However, when they later pursue legal remedies, they are often unsuccessful because their signature is deemed binding under Section 3(3) of the Law of Contracts Act.

The pre-training assessment revealed a significant gap between constitutional rights and community practice. The most immediate and widely reported issue was the compulsory acquisition of land by a Geothermal Company. Community members raised concerns about unfulfilled constitutional grievances, reporting that the company’s actions directly violated their rights.

 “Their farms and land have been taken with the promised compensation failing to materialize or being deemed unjust which has created a profound sense of betrayal and an erosion of trust in government institutions,” reports Michael Olach, a clinician at the Legal Aid Caravan.

The assessments also revealed a troubling landscape of Gender Based Violence (GBV). 

“Openness about the issue was heavily influenced by age and cultural norms. Younger women were more forthcoming in discussing issues of early marriage, rape and GBV. In contrast, older women demonstrated significant reluctance to share experiences or even acknowledge these problems within the community,”  says Anisa Ali. 

“This suggests a deep-seated cultural normalization and stigma where silence has long been the default response,” She closes with disappointment.

“The chiefs and the local police, typically the first points of contact for dispute resolution, were repeatedly cited as weak, slow to act and corrupt. The widespread requirement for bribes to offer services or have cases addressed, makes justice out of reach of most community members,” says Anisa and Olach.  “This ‘corrupt nature’ of officers, as reported,” they say, “actively serves to hinder access to justice and reinforces a cycle of impunity for perpetrators, whether in land disputes or cases of GBV.”

Immediate impact and lessons

“For us students, the experience was unforgettable,” says Jewell, “not because it was perfect or easy but because it was an encounter with the real meaning of law and justice.”

 “The experience really sharpened our ability to interview clients sensitively, understand complex problems on the spot and communicate legal concepts simply and with accuracy,” she adds.

Beyond the acquired skills, many were inspired by the community’s resilience, the trust placed in them and the realization that their voices had the power to change lives. 

 “Strathmore Law Clinic’s  mission in Narok showcased a reality where constitutional rights remain abstract concepts, systemically undermined by the daily realities of these communities,” notes Anisa Ali.

“We documented gaps between law and lived experience and we are now moving towards translating this into tangible action in line with our mission of access to justice.” 

Collaborations and support

This year’s initiative brought together three law schools; Strathmore Law School, Notre Dame Law School (Indiana, USA) and Stellenbosch University (South Africa).  Notre Dame Law School was represented by Professor Jimmy Gurule, the director of the Notre Dame Exoneration Clinic, and his students Albert Kwon and Ava Moreno. 

 It also brought on board three partner organizations: Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), through its Rule of Law Program for Sub-Saharan Africa led by Dr. Stefanie Rothenberger; IMPACT Kenya and the Pro Bono Institute of Kenya (PBI-K).

The team was also enriched by advocates and community liaisons with Maasai roots, including Emmanuel ole Ntome of TripleOKLaw, Patrick Saikong and Soinnei Parseina as well as community leaders Penina Nailantei and James Lesalon, all of whom brought extensive experience in promoting grassroots development in Narok. 

Their cultural insight promoted trust, translation and ensured participatory community engagement. Emmanuel ole Ntome described his involvement as a way of giving back to the community that raised him.

“The caravan may move on but the impact, the lessons, the bonds formed and the spark of inspiration it left behind will continue to travel in the students who found their purpose, in the communities that discovered their voice and in the shared belief that justice grows strongest when it grows from the ground up,” Ivy Gacheru.

Article by Evans Ijakaa, Michael Olach, Ali Anisa, Ivy Gacheru, Nicole Kumenda and Ruth Awino.