The Firm
A movement-centred, feminist, and decolonial law firm
We practise law with reflection and responsibility, recognising both the power and the limits of litigation.
Grounded in the African human rights system, we draw on rigorous research and almost a decade of embedded experience to push for jurisprudence that advances dignity, equity, and accountability. We work domestically and regionally, pursuing partnership across the continent.
We believe litigation is most powerful when it is complementary – to ongoing advocacy, to movement strategy, and to the lived realities of the communities we serve.
Our model is deliberate. A dual-engine practice that combines cutting-edge, movement-centred legal defence with traditional corporate, commercial, and conveyancing services – ensuring our institutional independence and continuously funding our advocacy work.
The Founder
Nerima A. Were
Advocate of the High Court | Commissioner for Oaths | Notary Public
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What Drives Us
Our Vision & Mission
Vision
A world in which the law advances the dignity and rights of the most marginalised, without discrimination.
Mission
To partner with communities, movements, and clients to unlock the transformative power of the law – through rigorous litigation, collaborative knowledge production, and movement-centred legal practice.
How we work
The Firm's Framework
Strategic Litigation
Advancing human rights and sexual & reproductive justice through carefully selected, movement-aligned cases.
systemic outcomes Beyond individual cases
Our Impact
Jurisprudence and normative development
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2024 - 2026
Right to health - TB incarceration
Constitutional challenge advancing the right to health as a positive obligation on the state. Currently before the Court of Appeal - outcome will set precedent on public health detention. -
2023 - 2026
Safe abortion - normative framework
Petition advancing constitutional standards on safe abortion. Instructed by the Law Society of Kenya. Currently before the Court of Appeal. -
2022
Safeguarding - defamation precedent
Established that investigations conducted with proper precaution cannot constitute defamation - protecting organisations implementing safeguarding policies.
Field-building and knowledge production
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AKOMA PARTNERSHIP
Feminist, decolonial research engine
Ongoing co-creation of knowledge products that bridge critical gaps in how strategic litigation is understood and deployed across the social justice sector. -
Multi-country digital health study
Research spanning Ghana, Kenya, and Vietnam on digital health and the rights of young adults - contributing to emerging normative frameworks on digital rights. -
Legal and policy audit - SRHR in East Africa
Comprehensive audit of the legal and policy landscape on sexual and reproductive health rights across East Africa.
Movement infrastructure
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INITIATIVE FOR STRATEGIC LITIGATION IN AFRICA (ISLA)
Pan-African collaboration infrastructure
Collaborations Guide, Conflict Analysis Checklist, MEL Framework, and External Engagement Guides - enabling feminist litigation organisations to work across borders with clarity and rigour. -
2021 - 2024
Rights Under Strain
Multi-year programme integrating strategic litigation, research, and community organising across Western Kenya - linking reproductive justice with land rights and community structures.