The Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ Kenya) held the fifth in a series of webinars on the impact of Covid-19 on the poor and vulnerable in society. Over 100 people participated in the webinar while others followed the deliberations through social media and online streaming services including YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp. The participants were drawn from civil society, the private sector and the government.

The topic of the webinar was informed by the fact that the measures taken by the government to curb the spread of Covid-19, though necessary, have posed serious socio-economic challenges for the poor, the vulnerable and the marginalised in society.

The panellists and participants discussed the following:

• The role of the criminal justice sector in ensuring petty offenders are not exposed to Covid-19, and the justice needs of the poor and marginalised are prioritised;
• How the pandemic has affected the mental health of the poor and vulnerable; and
• The ongoing disregard of economic and social rights of the poor and vulnerable by the government in the measures it has taken to mitigate Covid-19.