Court of Appeal judge Martha Koome has received a runners-up award for the UN Kenya Person of The Year 2020.
Justice Koome was recognised for her advocacy for the rights of children in conflict with the law as well as child victims.
In her acceptance speech, Koome said that she was grateful that it was not only those ordinary mwananchi on the streets who had noticed her work for children but also the UN had noticed that she spoke and worked for children.
“All of us stand in a position of local parents for a child be it a child in the streets, in a remand home, in schools and everywhere if a child is not in a good place, it is because of failure of a system in the society. This is the message I spread that our children are our collective responsibility,” Koome said.
Koome chaired the NCAJ Special Task Force on Children matters that has highlighted the plight of children in the Justice system.
The task force mobilised and coordinated other stakeholders and reviewed the Children’s Act to align it with the Constitution of Kenya 2010, it developed practice directions to deal with children during Covid-19.
The task force sourced for laptops which were supplied to children’s remand homes to enable them conduct virtual hearing of cases without having to transport children.
The award was introduced in 2002 as the collective UN family of agencies honour to an individual and/or an institution for succeeding to bring to public notice significant issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals which are sustainable and serve as an inspiration to all Kenyans, and in keeping with the ideals of the UN.