Round Table Meeting on the Draft Bill: Preservation of Homan Dignity and
Enforcement of Economic and Social Rights Bill, 2015
The Director, African Women’s Studies Prof. Wanjiku Kabira and Masinde Waswa from
AWSC attended a round table meeting on the Preservation of Homan Dignity and
Enforcement of Economic and Social Rights Bill, 2015 by the Senate. The meeting was
held in Nairobi at Silver Springs Hotel on 25th June, 2015. The Bill which has been
authored by the Senator for Mombasa, Hon. Hassan Omar is AN ACT of Parliament to
establish a framework for the preservation of human dignity; for the promotion,
monitoring and enforcement of economic and social rights, to establish
mechanisms to monitor and promote adherence by County Governments to
Article 43 of the constitution; and for connected purposes.
The AWSC has been a champion in ensuring the implementation of Article 43 of the
constitution which guarantees every person the right to attain the highest attainable
standards of economic and social rights including the right to; healthcare, accessible and
adequate housing, reasonable standards of living, freedom from hunger, basic nutrition
for children, clean and safe water in adequate quantities, social security and social
assistance, and education. One of the major contributions to the implementation of
Article 43 is the Food Security Bill, 2014 by the Senate which was as a result of research
on food security in the country carried by AWSC in collaboration with the Kenya
National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS). The Food Security Bill, 2014 is due for the Second
Reading. The AWSC has also done extensive work and made recommendations on the
realization of the right to; water and sanitation, housing, health and education. In
addition, the AWSC has also made submissions on the Senior Citizens Care and
Protection Bill, 2014. The proposed Human Dignity Act by Senator Hassan Omar
therefore intends to establish a broader framework and mechanism for the
implementation of the entire Article 43 and provide linkage to article 19 of the
constitution.
The objective of the round table session was to provide a forum for discussion and
consensus building amongst Human Rights Practitioners, professionals and experts on
the suggested Dignity and Adequate Standards of Living for All Kenyans Law (also
referred to as Dignity Act).
From Left to Right: Senator Hassan Omar, Davinder Lamba (Renowned Human Rights Crusader) and
Prof. Wanjiku Kabira(Director, AWSC) during the round table meeting at Silver Springs Hotel on 26 th
June 2015.