Uongozi bora U mikononi mwetu
We work to provide Kenyan citizens with quality, gender-responsive education about their constitutional rights and responsibilities so that we can all protect and promote our democracy.
Our Vision
An informed, empowered and democratic Kenya.
Our Mission
To provide quality civic education and empower citizens to realise their constitutional aspirations.
Our Values
Integrity
Professionalism
Teamwork
Equality
Equity
Non-partisan
200
+Years of
operation
470
counties
of operations
50
.7m+reached
annually
530
+current
Partners
Our Presence in Kenya
Uraia Current Projects
WVL
SPARKe
DGHRP
Uraia Trust is currently implementing a five-year Women Voice and Leadership (WVL) programme supported by the Global Affairs Canada (GAC) through CARE Canada and Care - Kenya. The programme aims to contribute to gender equality and increased enjoyment of human rights by women and girls in Kenya by improving the governance, management, programming, and sustainability of local Women’s Rights Organizations (WROs); enhancing their ability to deliver quality services and increasing the effectiveness of WROs platforms to effect policy, legal and social change.
Uraia Trust is implementing a five-year programme titled: ‘Strengthening Public Accountability and Responsiveness in Kenya Programme (SPARKe).’ The programme covers the period 2021 – 2025 supported by Danish Development Agency (DANIDA). The programme aims at contributing towards increased responsiveness and accountability in Kenya's public spaces.
Uraia Trust is currently implementing a three-year programme titled the Democracy, Governance and Human Rights Programmes (DGHRP) supported by DIAKONIA Sweden. The programme aims for improved transparency, accountability, and inclusivity in service delivery at the national and county level; and an empowered citizenry meaningfully engaging and demanding for transparency, accountability and integrity in service delivery.
How We Started
Uraia's History
Uraia Trust has delivered civic education to Kenyans for over 20 years. Our journey started as the National Civic Education Programme (NCEP) in response to the clamour for multi-party democracy.
2000
NCEP Implemented
NCEP was implemented between August 2000 and September 2002. It was aimed at consolidating a mature political culture to raise citizen awareness of their rights and responsibilities, and in turn their capacity to effectively participate in broadening Kenya’s democracy
2002
2002 Elections
By the general election of December 2002, NCEP had successfully reached nearly a fifth of Kenya’s total population through civic and voter education activities in all the country’s former provinces. The new political environment and the push towards constitutional reform ushered in by the 2002 general election drove a review and drastic restructuring of the NCEP programme.
2005
Second Phase
NCEP’s second phase (Uraia) shifted its focus to five key areas that were considered critical under the new political dispensation: nation-building; democratization; good governance; constitutionalism; and human rights, with the three cross-cutting issues of environment, gender and HIV/AIDS.
2007
2007 Elections
The 2007 General Elections and the subsequent violence forced Uraia re-formulate its objectives to respond to the new challenges facing the country after the polls, including the large numbers of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) that were living in camps, in many parts of the country.
2009
Self-Sustaining
Uraia began initiating mechanisms through which the Programme could become more self-sustaining and less dependent on the basket fund provided by donors.
2011
Uraia Trust Launch
Uraia Trust, established in 2011, to allow longer-term planning, and reach a larger number of citizens and stakeholders wishing to be part of the country’s reform agenda.
2021 - 2025
Strategic Framework
Abridged Version. For the full version, kindly visit the Resources page.
Milestones
The Constitution of Kenya (2010)
2021 - 2025
Strategic Framework
Uraia’s Strategic Goal is an empowered, engaged and values-based citizenry. By 2025 we want to see:
- A vibrant ecosystem of civic education
- Increased engagement by citizens in public affairs
- Enhanced, equitable quality of service delivery bynational and county governments
- National consensus on and demand for the practice of Utu in the public sphere
Quick Facts About Civic Education
Civic education is the continual and systematic provision of information and learning experiences to all citizens for their effective participation in democratic life. Civic education promotes civic skills and develops informed citizens who actively participate in the governance of their society based on enhanced knowledge, understanding, and ownership.
Public Participation is one of the national principles and values of governance under Article 10 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, and one of the key objectives of devolution. Article 174 c of CoK 2010 states that one of the objects of devolution is “…to give powers of self-governance to the people and enhance their participation in the exercise of the powers of the State and in making decisions affecting them”.
The County Government Act 2012, Part X, provides for the establishment of a national design and framework for civic education, including determining the content of the curriculum. Section 100 of Part X stipulates that every county must implement an appropriate civic education programme. The programmes should be sustained to ensure citizen understand their civic roles, rights, and responsibility and can use the knowledge acquired for informed participation in civic and political processes.
The national government has developed a national civic education curriculum but most counties have not yet developed their own curricula. The national government has not yet developed ‘The National Design and Framework of Civic Education’ which should be adopted and domesticated by county governments as envisaged in the County Government Act 2012.
Our Development Partners
With generous support from
our Implementing Partners
National Partners
Federation of Women Lawyers – Kenya
(FIDA)
Election Observation Group
(ELOG)
Centre for Multiparty Democracy
(CMD)
Constitution and Reform Education Consortium
(CRECO)
United Disabled Persons of Kenya
(UDPK)
Transparency International – Kenya
(TI)
County Partners
Centre for Enhancing Democracy and Good Governance
(CEDGG)
Centre for Transformational Leadership
(CTL)
Community Empowerment & Development Centre
(CEDC)
Kwacha
Afrika
Rural Development Empowerment Organisation
(REDO)
Integrated Development Facility
(IDF)
Civic education is a critical tool for promoting nationhood, constitutionalism, human rights, good governance and public participation. It informs citizens about their rights and responsibilities, how these rights are accessed and how their responsibilities are to be exercised. Civic education in Kenya increases citizen understanding of the 2010 constitution.
Uraia’s civic education programs promote active citizen participation in political processes at the local and national levels; raises awareness of social and political rights among marginalised and minority communities; and grounds citizens in Kenya’s national values.
Uraia’s civic education initiatives result in Kenyans who are patriotic, who support democratic values, who are tolerant of divergent political opinions, who actively participate in holding duty bearers and the general leadership to account, who defend the constitution, and protect the rights of marginalised and minority communities.
Uraia’s civic education supports the development of local and national leaders who uphold the standards of integrity envisaged in the Constitution of Kenya
