- Celebrating Unity and Understanding: NAO and Aw Jama Center Bridge Cultures through Somali Week
- Bridging the Gap: NAO, UN Habitat, and Nairobi City County Foster Community-Police Relations
- Other Reports
- Honoring Resilience: NAO and UN Partner for Garissa Photo Exhibition
- Empowering Urban Refugees Through Legal Aid:
- Remembering Garissa and Advocating for Peace:
- MANDERA PEACE AND EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM FOR YOUTH AND WOMEN 1st- 5th March 2017.
- #DontHideMe – Together in Support of Children with Disability
- YOUTH & WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
- PEACE AND INTEGRATION CVE (COUNTERING VIOLENT EXTREMISM)
- ADVOCACY – CAPACITY BUILDING, GOOD GOVERNANCE & RESPONSIBLE LEADERSHIP
- ADVOCACY – LEGAL AID
- EDUCATION
- Landmark Conviction: A Turning Point in Northern Kenya’s Struggle Against Extrajudicial Killings.



The Northern Advocacy Organisation (NAO) and Aw Jama Cultural Center joined forces to host the annual Somali Cultural Week, celebrating the vibrant and diverse culture of the Somali community in Kenya. This initiative went beyond mere celebration – it served as a powerful bridge for understanding and appreciation between different communities.
By showcasing traditional music, dance, food, and art, the Somali Cultural Week offered a unique opportunity for Kenyans from all walks of life to immerse themselves in the heart of Somali culture. Through interactive workshops, engaging storytelling sessions, and lively performances, the event fostered a sense of curiosity and connection, replacing stereotypes with authentic experiences.
This cultural exchange served as a potent tool for:
- Combating prejudice and fostering acceptance: Engaging with different cultural expressions fosters empathy and understanding, dismantling negative biases and prejudices.
- Celebrating diversity and enriching society: Recognizing and appreciating the unique contributions of each community strengthens the social fabric and creates a richer, more vibrant society.
- Promoting peaceful coexistence: Building positive relationships through cultural exchange lays the foundation for mutual respect and collaboration, paving the way for a more peaceful and inclusive society.
NAO stands firm in its commitment to promoting cultural understanding and appreciation as a catalyst for peace. The Somali Cultural Week is a testament to the power of cultural exchange in bridging divides and building a more harmonious Kenya.


In a collaborative effort to strengthen community-police relations, the Northern Advocacy Organisation (NAO) joined forces with UN Habitat and Nairobi City County to conduct a crucial workshop. This initiative aimed to foster understanding and build harmonious connections between residents and security agencies.
The workshop served as a platform for open dialogue and knowledge sharing. Participants explored key aspects of community-police relations, including:
- Mutual respect and understanding: Recognizing the roles and challenges faced by both communities and security agencies.
- Effective communication: Establishing clear channels for communication and feedback to address concerns and build trust.
- Collaborative problem-solving: Working together to identify and address security issues within communities.
By bringing together diverse stakeholders, NAO, UN Habitat, and Nairobi City County facilitated a productive dialogue that transcended individual perspectives. This collaborative approach fostered a sense of shared responsibility and commitment to building safer and more inclusive communities.
NAO remains dedicated to promoting positive interactions between communities and security agencies. We believe that collaborative efforts like this workshop are essential for building trust, fostering peace, and ensuring the safety and well-being of all residents.








On the third anniversary of the heartbreaking attack on Garissa University College, the Northern Advocacy Organisation (NAO) partnered with the United Nations in Nairobi to create a powerful tribute. Together, we curated a moving photo exhibition showcasing the spirit and resilience of the university community.
These compelling images were not just captured moments, but testaments to the unwavering strength and hope that endured the tragedy. The exhibition was proudly presented at the UN headquarters in Gigiri, Nairobi, carrying a message of peace and unity to a global audience.
Adding immense significance to the occasion were the esteemed guests who joined us. His Excellency Sahle-work Zewde, then Head of the UN in Nairobi and now President of Ethiopia, and Honorable Aden Duale, Leader of Majority in the National Assembly of Kenya, lent their voices to the call for peace and healing.
NAO is deeply honored to have played a role in this impactful collaboration. The Garissa photo exhibition serves as a beacon of remembrance, reminding us of the importance of standing together against violence and promoting education as a pillar of peace. We remain committed to working with partners like the UN to advocate for a brighter future for the communities affected by this tragedy and beyond.







Northern Advocacy Organisation (NAO), in collaboration with the Somalia Embassy in Kenya and the Nowerign Refugee Council, proudly served the urban refugee community in Eastleigh, Nairobi. Through targeted legal aid clinics, we not only provided crucial legal assistance but also empowered individuals with knowledge of their fundamental rights.
Our dedicated team offered accessible and efficient legal guidance, addressing the unique challenges faced by refugees navigating the Kenyan legal system. This included:
- Informative sessions: We educated individuals on their basic rights, covering areas like asylum procedures, employment regulations, and access to essential services. This proactive approach empowered refugees to understand their legal standing and confidently advocate for themselves.
- Individual case representation: When legal representation was needed, NAO stepped in to advocate on behalf of refugees who might otherwise be unable to afford legal fees. This ensured fair and just outcomes in individual cases, upholding the rights of each refugee seeking assistance.
By partnering with key organizations and offering both proactive knowledge sharing and individual case representation, NAO made a significant impact on the lives of urban refugees in Eastleigh. We remain committed to empowering vulnerable communities and ensuring equal access to justice and legal support.




In April 2015, Northern Advocacy Organisation (NAO) embarked on a powerful initiative of unity and peace. Joining forces with Kenyans from diverse backgrounds, we travelled to Garissa University. This wasn’t just a symbolic gesture; it was a direct response to the tragic terror attack that had deeply wounded the institution and the community.
Together, we stood not only in solidarity with the victims and survivors, but also with the wider Northern Kenya region. Our message was clear: Garissa University, the only university in the region, deserved to reopen and thrive. It represented hope, opportunity, and a future free from fear.
By staying at the university’s own hotels, we sent a powerful message of resilience and defiance against those who sought to spread division and terror. We reaffirmed our belief in the strength and unity of the Kenyan people, regardless of background or origin.
The memory of Garissa serves as a constant reminder of the importance of peacebuilding and social harmony. NAO remains committed to advocating for these values, not just in Garissa, but throughout Kenya. By working together, we can ensure that education, opportunity, and peace prevail.




In 2017, the Northern Advocacy Organisation embarked on a mission to empower students in Mandera County, Kenya, through a multifaceted program. Volunteers visited schools, delivering motivational speeches and distributing reading materials to ignite a love of learning. Their reach extended to Dawa Primary School, a beacon for children with hearing difficulties, demonstrating their commitment to inclusive education. While the excerpt offers a snapshot of their efforts, understanding the program’s specific goals, targeted age groups, and the types of resources distributed would paint a more comprehensive picture of the impact they made on the community.





































































































In Kenya, people living with both mental and physical disabilities face deplorable levels of discrimination, even within their own families and communities. Regrettably, this discrimination is even more pronounced within the Somali community, where children endure relentless discrimination, neglect, and endure a heart-wrenching sense of social isolation. Shockingly, some parents go to the extreme of concealing their children’s disabilities, which cruelly deprives them of access to essential educational and healthcare resources they so desperately need.
This discrimination not only permeates within families but also inflicts severe hardships on these children within educational institutions. They experience heartbreakingly harsh ostracization and receive minimal support from both government and development partners. The lack of specialized infrastructure in schools, hospitals, and public spaces exacerbates their suffering, effectively cutting them off from full participation in community life.
The situation is even worse when it comes to children living with developmental disabilities. Unfortunately, even the government and its relevant agencies are not giving special focus to this category o children as they do with children with physical disability.
The “Don’t Hide Me” awareness creation event aims to challenge these stereotypes, promote inclusivity, and provide a platform for these children to be appreciated as individuals with unique abilities and potential. This forum will feature a range of activities designed to foster empathy, understanding, and collaboration among all stakeholders, ultimately working towards creating a more inclusive society.
Keynote Speeches.
PS, Disability.
3.1 Storytelling Session
Caretakers and children with hidden disabilities will share their personal stories, experiences, and achievements.
This session will emphasize the strengths and abilities of these children, breaking down stereotypes.
3.2 Panelist Discussion
Panelists will include researchers, religious leaders, professors, community leaders, and opinion influencers.
A structured discussion on developmental disabilities, stigma, and potential solutions will take place.
Questions and answers from the audience will be encouraged to engage participants intellectually.
3.3 Short Films/Videos Screening
A selection of short films and videos featuring children with hidden disabilities and their journeys will be screened.
These videos will aim to evoke empathy and understanding among the audience.
3.4 Interactive Session
Guests mingle and Interact.
The campaign theme, “Don’t Hide Me,” encapsulates the message of the event: these children should not be hidden away or stigmatized. They deserve recognition, inclusion, and equal opportunities.
The “Don’t Hide Me” awareness creation night is an essential step towards breaking down barriers and creating a more inclusive society for children with hidden disabilities. By providing a platform for discussion, storytelling, and education, we aim to challenge stereotypes, promote empathy, and encourage tangible support for these children in their journey towards equal opportunities and recognition. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of these children and their families, ensuring that they are no longer hidden but valued members of our communities.
Specific Outcomes
The initiative will yield numerous positive outcomes:
Empowerment: Children living with disabilities will gain self-confidence and independence, feeling empowered to participate in various activities and educational pursuits.
Inclusivity: The community will learn to embrace inclusivity, valuing diversity and recognizing the unique strengths that individuals with disabilities bring to society.
Advocacy: By advocating for the rights of children with disabilities, the initiative will encourage policymakers to adopt more inclusive policies and ensure that disabilities are mainstreamed in the education system.
Changing Perception: The initiative aims to shift perceptions, transforming the negative stereotypes associated with disabilities into positive attitudes and understanding.



Northern Advocacy organization will focus on women
and youth engagement in peace building,
development, decision making and leadership
We achieve this through providing mentorship program for women and youth both school going and non-school going so as to promote their participation in self-development activities like farming, entrepreneurship and other alternative platform that entails use of available resources for sustainable development. It is possible to educate the communities on agricultural activities through focusing on farming both cash crops and daily home use of farm produce; this can be achieved through promoting green house and provision of alternative
sources of water so as to promote agriculture in the region. Northern Advocacy Organization is determined to achieve the broad youth and Women empowerment under the following thematic Areas;
- Role of youths in leadership
- Women participation in leadership
- Youth participation in decision making
- Entrepreneurship Skills
Violent extremism is the beliefs and actions of people who support or use violence to achieve ideological, religious or political goals. All forms of violent extremism seek change through fear and intimidation rather than through peaceful means.
We work to Support and coordinate efforts or existing CVE related organizations and Institutions to better understand the complexity of violent extremism, Including assessing the threat it poses to the Country as a whole and within the Communities of Northern Kenya. We achieve this goal using the following set methods
UNDERSTANDING THE Architecture & dynamics of radicalization and recruitment CVE in social and Cyber Space; Counter narratives to ideologies promoting violent ideologies
EMPOWERING Youth in school through Mentoring in leadership to counter Violent Extremism through Sharing knowledge, attitudes and experiences that Work.
The legal empowerment is about grassroots justiceabout
ensuring that law is not confined to books or
courtrooms, but rather is available and meaningful to
ordinary people.
It is aimed to ensure that citizens get involved in the economic development of the country by being empowered on their legal rights. Activities organized to achieve the Legal Aid and Empowerment Program often combine a small corps of lawyers with a larger frontline of law students and community members who are conversant with the law and the workings of government and who use mediation, organizing, legal education, and advocacy to assist citizens in finding concrete solutions to instances of injustice.
This approach is intended to ensure there is involvement of members of the community hence achieving maximum benefit for the target group. The objective of Capacity building and legal empowerment is to;
Enhancing the capacity of individuals to self-representation in litigation by doing training on the trial and legal process in general.
To enhance access to justice by the poor and marginalized in the communities living in Northern Kenya.
To engage in advocacy campaigns on issues that affect members and the community at large.
Building capacity on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in order to ensure that traditional/customary justice system is utilized.
Legal aid is the provision of assistance to people
otherwise unable to afford legal representation and
access to both formal and informal Court System.
The main aim of legal aid is to provide and ensure access to justice thus upholding the legal principles of equality before the law, the right to legal representation and the right to fair trial. The Legal Aid and Empowerment Program in NAO is driven by the need to provide
assistance to socially and economically disadvantaged persons in society to enable them understand and protect their rights. Majority of people in Northern Kenya live outside the protection of the law mostly because of poverty, stigma and ignorance. Additionally, the ability of communities in Northern Kenya to participate in the government’s agenda to alleviate poverty by fostering economic growth and improving essential services like health, education and water is compromised owing to lack of knowledge of the law hence low accountability.
Due to economic situation of the people in North Eastern Kenya, legal aid is a valuable option for those who are in search of legal advice and representation. There is need for an Independent Legal Aid (independent from government) in NEP of Kenya due to numerous
complaints against illegal and inhumane acts carried out by successive regimes. Indeed most of the issues the Local community has is centered on complaints against government agencies and officials on a wide ranging and diverse issues: Registration and issuance of ID Cards; illegal detention; illegal seizure of property.In Northern Kenya, a marginalized and poverty stricken area, residents have acute deficit in understanding and knowledge of the law and legal procedure. This has more often than not led to individuals resorting to illegal means to settle disputes and also at times to tolerate and encounter numerous illegal and unlawful behaviors and actions of the Government, its agencies and officers.
The low level of legal literacy has ensured that Northern Kenya and its inhabitants are unable to properly exercise and gain access to their rights specifically those enshrined in chapter (IV). Kenyan constitution. This has led to arbitrary arrests, illegal detentions, unlawful
punishments/sentences, curtailed rights and fundamental freedoms.
Education is a centerpiece in Kenya’s development
priorities and the government of Kenya has
demonstrated commitment to attaining post 2015
Development Agenda which encompasses achieving
Universal Primary Education.
However, it is quite clear that while Kenya has made great strides towards achieving these international goals, it still has a long way to go. It is worth noting that the government has put some effort in improving access to primary education through FPE (Free primary Education) and other interventions but the education in Northern Kenya still faces huge challenges that have hampered the realization of the dreams of the children from the region.
These unique challenges that these counties have always faced range from abject poverty, to marginalization by successive regimes to the natural harsh climatic conditions and people’s way of life. Regrettably, these challenges have recently been compounded by the negative impacts of insecurity in the region. This has had dire consequences on the education of children in the region.
Northern Advocacy Organization has therefore identified education as a key area to focus on. Some of the objectives we would like to achieve in this thematic area include:
- Advocating for more access to basic education in Northern Region
- Partnering with other stakeholders to provide learning materials to
students - Conducting regular mentorship and career guidance programs in the
region - Advocating for staffing and other structural requirements for schools.
MENTORING AND CAREER GUIDANCE
Mentoring is a learning and development partnership between someone with vast experience and someone who wants to learn.Mentoring and Career guidance is one of the major thematic areas of Northern Advocacy organization
The landmark conviction of an extrajudicial killing case marks a pivotal moment in Northern Kenya’s history. For years, security agencies engaged in ruthless killings and disappearances, particularly in Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Marsabit, and Isiolo. The perpetrators, often shielded by the government, left many families suffering in silence without closure for their loved ones.
Despite the constitutional guarantee of the right to life (Article 26(1&3)), the state failed to take appropriate measures, allowing extrajudicial killings to persist. However, on November 10, 2018, in Rhamu, Mandera North Sub-County, two police officers, Kennedy
Okuli and Denis Langat, raided Mama Abdia Omar Aden’s home, alleging her son’s involvement in drug trafficking. Eyewitnesses reported that the officers fatally shot Mama Abdia three times in the chest.
In response, the Northern Advocacy Organisation wrote to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) on November 12, 2018. After dispatching investigative officers, IPOA concluded its investigation in March 2019, handing the case to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP). The two suspects were interdicted, arrested, and charged with the murder of Mama Abdia. The trial, which commenced in May 2019 at the Garissa High Court, involved eighteen witnesses.
Following a lengthy legal process, the two suspects were convicted of manslaughter in May 2021. They were subsequently sentenced to ten years each and are currently serving their terms at Kamiti Maximum Prison. This conviction represents the first successful extrajudicial killings case in Northern Kenya, setting a precedent for accountability and justice in the region.