Jinsiangu
Creating Change
Changing the future for Kenya's I.T.GNC community
The landscape of our work
By most accounts, Kenya is considered a moderate country compared with others in the region. Yet Intersex, Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming (I.T.GNC) people still face severe, systemic violations, including:
- Forced stripping by members of the public and police
- Sexual, verbal and physical abuse
- Denial of basic services in government agencies
- Lack of recognition of gender identities in policy and identity documents
- Denial of adequate healthcare, including hormonal therapy
- Denial of educational and identity documents
- Evictions from places of residence
- Denial of gainful employment
- Lack of access to basic needs, such as safe toilet facilities
Most of these violations go unreported. When incidents are reported, I.T.GNC people often face reverse persecution and are blamed for the attacks or situations against them.
I.T.GNC persons often face reverse persecution when they report incidents and are blamed for having caused the attacks or situations.
As a result, many in the I.T.GNC community struggle with:
- Substance dependency
- Poor physical, emotional and mental wellbeing
- Lack of decent work or stable income
Even so, the community has built remarkable resilience, courage and strength to keep moving forward.
Our successes so far
The 2010 Constitution opened a path to protection from discrimination for all Kenyans through the Bill of Rights. Jinsiangu and peer organizations continue to push for full protection and recognition for I.T.GNC individuals.
- Courts have increasingly awarded damages to I.T.GNC persons who litigate and prove violations.
- I.T.GNC individuals have successfully used deed polls to legally change their names.
- Recognition of those name changes on National Identity Cards, and the right to alter one's gender marker, remain difficult — but not impossible. A few have had success.
Since our foundation, Jinsiangu has grown from a small support group of intersex and transgender Nairobians into a national organization working on service provision, sensitization, visibility and representation for I.T.GNC people across Kenya.
Through our work, we are creating visibility, sparking discussion, advocating for I.T.GNC-specific care, and providing safe spaces.
A major win
Count Me In: the legal gender recognition study
In 2026, Jinsiangu led Count Me In, Kenya's first nationwide study on civil registration and legal gender recognition for transgender and gender diverse people. It gives our advocacy a landmark evidence base — and gives the state a clear roadmap for reform.
"I exist — but officially, I do not."
The study also documents:
- No codified legal framework for gender recognition exists in Kenya, leaving no clear administrative process to update documents.
- Widespread denial of service, humiliation and harassment at registration offices.
- Clear links between lack of legal recognition and exclusion from health, work, finance, education and civic life.
- Powerful personal stories showing how the system exhausts, endangers and erases transgender and gender diverse Kenyans.
Count Me In turns lived experience into hard evidence. It confirms the scale of these barriers, shows exactly where policy and practice are failing, and sets out concrete recommendations for government, civil society and development partners. It is now a central pillar of our advocacy for legal gender recognition, non-discriminatory civil registration, and dignity in everyday life.
What we're pushing for next
Building on Count Me In and our broader work, Jinsiangu is advocating for:
A clear path to recognition
An accessible administrative pathway for gender recognition that respects self-determination and aligns with the Constitution and human rights standards.
One change, everywhere it counts
Coordinated processes across ministries so a name or gender-marker change on one document, such as a deed poll, carries through automatically to IDs, passports, academic records and health files.
Training that protects dignity
Systematic training for civil registration officials, police, healthcare workers and other service providers on human rights, dignity and anti-discrimination standards.
Care built around I.T.GNC lives
Safe, affordable, I.T.GNC-competent services in health, legal aid, documentation support and livelihoods.
Join us in creating change
From community support to national policy reform, every step counts. Count Me In shows both how far there is to go, and how much is possible when we organize, document and demand better.
Your support helps us:
- Continue legal and policy advocacy grounded in evidence like Count Me In
- Run community programs that improve safety, wellbeing and livelihoods
- Keep amplifying I.T.GNC voices in media, government and public life
Your support will be highly appreciated.