By William Rui

On June 11-12, the Placement & Career Services Department, in collaboration with the Criminal Justice club and Young Diplomats forum Club, held the second annual Criminal Justice Week, bringing together students, legal professionals and justice advocates for engaging conversations about law, leadership and the role of youth in transforming justice systems.

Held on campus, this two-day event featured insightful discussions and showcased a shared commitment to a fairer and more inclusive society. The event began with a trivia and entertainment session, setting the tone for the rest of the occasion. Dr. Victor Boiyo, the Deputy Vice Chancellor - Student Life, gave his remarks urging the youths to embrace credible leadership and to stand up for what is right.

Speaking during the event, Lady Justice Joyce Aluoch, the guest speaker, highlighted the role of young people in peacebuilding, arguing that without justice, peace is impossible and that justice is the soul from which peace grows.

Various insights were shared, emphasizing on putting a stop to the exclusion of youth from activism. Attendees were encouraged to nurture youth involvement rather than criminalizing it. Youth were encouraged to persist, lead, and transform society. Recommendations were also shared, urging government and institutions to partner with the youth, the education system to empower young people, and bureaucratic barriers to be reduced to allow easy youth participation in justice reform. The first day also featured a panel session focused on human resource advice and insights for young professionals.

On the second day, Mr. Daniel Juma, Executive Director of Global Peace Foundation Kenya, gave the keynote speech on the need for young people to be involved in national peacebuilding and policy engagement. This was followed by a panel discussion that covered topics ranging from the importance of young people in promoting and implementing security, how young people can build trust and strengthen witness protection systems, gender justice, and empowering young people to fight inequality, and how to make justice and security reforms more inclusive to underrepresented groups.

The event ended with a networking session, converting building strategic partnerships and inspiring the audience to continue the fight for justice and change.