Helping Kenyan prosecutors fight criminals in court

Around the world, Thomson Reuters engages in efforts to strengthen the rule of law and help democratic values flourish, even in places where progress in these areas can be dishearteningly slow.  For the past ten years, Thomson Reuters has been helping Africa’s emerging democracies build the foundation for a civil society through its work with the non-profit groups Lawyers Without Borders and Books For Africa. 

Kenya is a particularly important country in this effort because it is one of Africa’s most advanced democracies, and because its relationship with the U.S. and Israel is so crucial to the global fight against militant extremism. One of Kenya’s biggest challenges, however, has been marshaling the resources necessary to effectively prosecute the perpetrators of deadly violence in its courts. Overwhelmed jurists, scant resources, corruption, and ongoing violence all combine to make it difficult for legal professionals in Kenya to do their jobs, so even if suspects are arrested, trying and convicting them can be difficult.