Improving Access to Justice and Survivor Support in Kenya

The Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) is a Kenyan governance, health, and human rights organisation founded in 1993 to prevent and respond to torture and related violations. With KIOS support, IMLU has improved access to justice, strengthened accountability for police violence, and provided rehabilitation for survivors. All this despite a context of increasing political tensions and civic unrest, where excessive use of force, enforced disappearances, and unlawful detentions have raised serious human rights concerns.

In 2025, IMLU combined legal, medical, and advocacy approaches to address torture and related violations. The organisation trained 269 police officers in Nyeri and Kirinyaga on survivor-centred responses to sexual and gender-based violence, building on earlier trainings and promoting more trauma-informed policing practices. IMLU also strengthened institutional accountability by facilitating dialogue between oversight bodies and civil society members.

The work led to concrete changes at multiple levels. Nationally, IMLU supported a task force that developed tools for investigating and prosecuting torture, including standard operating procedures and legal guidance. Locally, community policing initiatives helped build trust, reduce corruption, and strengthen reporting of violations. During the grant 957 survivors received psychosocial support. Survivors benefited directly also from medical care and forensic documentation.

Amid a highly challenging political environment, IMLU continued to expand its partnerships and influence, working closely with oversight bodies, law enforcement institutions, and civil society actors.

Looking ahead, IMLU plans to further deepen its impact by scaling up survivor-centred services, supporting the implementation of accountability tools, and widening engagement with both state and community actors to advance rights-based policing and justice.

Photo: IMLU 2025.

KIOS has supported the work of IMLU since 2018 with funding from the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ development cooperation.