“When the law does not reach the people, the people must take the law to themselves.” This has been Emmanuel Ekai’s mission of seeking to change what justice looks like for marginalised communities.
Emmanuel is the founder of Article 43 International, a legal empowerment organisation working in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and South Sudan villages.
It draws its name from Article 43 of the 2010 Constitution, which recognises every Kenyan’s right to food, education, water, health, and dignity.
“In the northwestern part of this country, those constitutional guarantees are still a mirage,” he says.
"The story of Mandela showed me that one person from a forgotten corner can change the world."
The organisation began in 2012 as a community youth initiative while Emmanuel was at the University of Nairobi’s law school.
After graduation, unlike many who chase opportunities in major cities, he returned home in Lodwar to practise law while mentoring the next generation.
“We decided that instead of profiting in big cities, we would go back to impact society,” he says.
He later got a Master’s degree in Migration and Refugee Law from the University of Dar es Salaam.
“Right from high school, I knew I wanted to be a lawyer,” he says, adding the inspiration came from the book Long Walk to Freedom, the autobiography of former South African President Nelson Mandela.
“The story of Mandela showed me that one person from a forgotten corner can change the world,” he says.
Beyond advocacy, he loves travelling, reading, football, and sitting under acacia trees with the elders, because “I love roasting meat and listening to their stories.”
–Marion Sitawa