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Campaign Overview

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Now in our third edition, the Wiki for Human Rights 2025 campaign in Kenya is part of a global initiative by the Wikimedia Foundation to ensure that everyone has access to neutral, fact-based, and current information related to human rights and sustainability.

This year, as a prelude to Wikimania 2025, under the global campaign theme; Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now, we focus on emphasising that human rights are not abstract ideals—they are the foundation for living with dignity today and building a fair, inclusive future.

Through our campaign activities, which are we are calling on Wikimedians, Journalists, civil society organizations, environmental and human rights defenders, and climate activists to document and share knowledge that empowers Kenyans to understand and protect their rights, especially the Rights to a Healthy Environment, Digital Rights and Access to Information, which is increasingly under threat in Kenya and globally.

Campaign Objectives

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The 2025 edition of the Wiki for Human Rights campaign in Kenya seeks to:

  1. Map out which rights are most critical right now among Kenyan youth and marginalised communities
  2. Explore what needs to be done to uphold and preserve these rights.
  3. Amplify local stories, knowledge, and action.

Key Activities

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Edit-a-thon (Kickoff Online – July 24th -22nd August 2024)

Kenyan Wikimedians,Journalists, Writers, researchers, and activists are invited to contribute to Wikipedia by improving or creating articles related to climate justice, human rights, and environmental sustainability in the Kenyan context.

Translat-a-thon (Kick off Online - July 24th-22th August

Translate existing articles on English Wikipedia on human rights and environmental content into local Kenyan languages such as Wwahili, Ogiek, Kikuyu, Luo, Kamba, etc to increase accessibility and reach.

Networking & Campaign Closing Ceremony ( Friday, 29 August)

A celebration and reflection event to highlight impact, acknowledge contributions, and showcase stories of change and stakeholder networking event with civil society organizations, media and community-based groups

Campaign Coordinators

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Lead Organiser:Winnie Kabintie

Co Lead:Carol Mwaura

Supporting Team

Tracy Weru - Translat-a-thon Coordinator

Valine GW - Admin & Social Media Outreach

Anitah Pezz - Wiki Quotes & Media outreach

Media Kit

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2025 Campaign Hashtags: #WikiForHumanRightsKe #WikiForHumanRights2025 #ClimateJusticeKE

Press Coverage

  1. Climate change hitting Kenya’s most vulnerable children hardest – UNICEF
  2. https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2025-09-06-kenyan-editors-lead-effort-to-translate-preserve-human-rights-knowledge-online#google_vignette
  3. https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/nairobi/article/2001529050/campaign-expands-access-to-rights-information-in-swahili-and-online

How to Join the Campaign

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  1. Register for the Campaign HERE.
  2. Join our social media advocacy under the hashtags #WikiForHumanRightsKe #WikiForHumanRights2025 #ClimateJusticeKE and follow us on twitter & linked in.
  3. participate in the edit-a-thon by improving any articles listed on the campaign dashboard either by improving the grammar, adding a citation, uploading an image or categorizing.
  4. Translate an article from english Wikipedia to any of the local languages in Kenya available on Wikipedia such as Swahili, Kikuyu, Luo and much more.
  5. Add a Wiki Quote on a renowned Kenyan human rights defender, environmentalist, climate justice or gender rights advocate.

Campaign Report

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Wiki for Human Rights 2025 Project Report

1. Introduction

In the 2025 campaign, we ran a four weeks edit-a-thon and translat-a-thon that culminated in an Awards & Networking Ceremony held on 5th September 2025 at Mint Glint Studios, Hazina Trade Centre, Nairobi.

This event provided an opportunity to reflect on the campaign’s collective impact, celebrate contributors, and foster dialogue on the role of open knowledge in advancing human rights in Kenya.

2. 2025 Campaign Highlights

Knowledge Contributions Campaign Dashboard

  • 120+ articles improved in the 4 week edit-a-thon, many rescued from deletion.
  • 10 new articles created in both english and swahili Wikipedia, including on Kenya’s two-thirds gender rule and the late human rights lawyer Willie Kimani.
  • 200+ Kenyan media articles cited, boosting the visibility of local journalism.
  • Capacity Building & Community Growth
  • 150+ youth trained in Wikipedia neutrality and notability policies , content verification, and fact-checking.
  • 22 active editors engaged during the closing month of the campaign.


Partnerships

  • Strengthened collaboration with journalists, civil society organizations, and human rights defenders, particularly the Economic and Social Rights Center-Hakijamii and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Kenya).
  • Enhanced advocacy on the Right to a Healthy Environment, Digital Rights, and Access to Information.

3. Awards & Networking Ceremony – September 2025

Objectives:

  • Celebrate the top contributors to the campaign.
  • Showcase the campaign’s 3 year Impact.
  • Inspire cross-sectoral dialogue on open knowledge and human rights.


Program Highlights:

Opening Remarks by Wikimedia Kenya UG co-founder, Carol Mwaura.


3 Year Campaign Impact & Outcomes presentation by Lead Campaign Coordinator, Winnie Kabintie


Keynote Panel:

  • Bridgit Kurgat (Wikimedia Foundation, Gender Lead)
  • Jonathan Odongo (Policy & Civil Society Partnerships Officer-World Wide Fund for Nature-WWF-Kenya)
  • Ijait Aluku (Advocate & Program Officer-Economic & Social Rights Centre-Hakijamii)


Moderated by Winnie Kabintie, in her capacity as Communications Specialist & Digital Rights Advocate.


Recognition of the Top 3 Contributors by Terry Boke.

Briianbraiin

Tracy Weru

Faith Buyaki

Networking dinner and media interviews.


Key Reflections from Panelists:

  • The intersection of human rights, policy, and conservation is critical in shaping a just society.
  • Access to reliable information empowers citizens to claim and defend rights.
  • Stronger links are needed between legal advocacy, grassroots mobilization, and policy reform.
  • Digital platforms like Wikipedia are invaluable tools for documentation and localization of environmental justice, housing rights, and civic participation.

4. Lessons Learned in 2025'

  • Localized content drives relevance: Translating and creating articles rooted in Kenyan and African realities fosters greater ownership.
  • Youth engagement sustains momentum: Training programs attracted new editors but continuous mentorship is needed.
  • Cross-sector partnerships are key: Collaboration with civil society, academia, and journalists ensures impact beyond Wikipedia.
  • Media visibility strengthens advocacy: Leveraging local journalism amplified campaign reach.
  • Sustainability requires year-round engagement: Campaign activities should extend beyond a single campaign window.
  • a research to map out the rights that matter the most to various demographics in Kenya would yield more factual data


==Proposed Project Plan for 2026==
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