NATIONAL EMPOWERMENT NETWORK OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS IN KENYA

At inception, NEPHAK committed to work for greater and meaningful involvement of PLHIV in the HIV response and to act as a positive force for change and bringing together PLHIV to have a common voice and purpose. The size and scope of the challenges facing NEPHAK in realizing these goals should not be under estimated. HIV – associated stigma was at its peak and there was no known treatment for HIV.

As expected, the young network was to face leadership, management and governance challenges. The formation and growth of NEPHAK was inhibited because of these challenges and by year 2000, a Task Force was established to spearhead the re-formation of NEPHAK. It was out of the leadership wrangles and the squabbles that one wing of NEPHAK would add the term ‘Empowerment’ in their name to distinguish the genuine NEPHAK from the other national networks. During this time, NEPHAK would either mean Network of PLHAs in Kenya (NEPHAK) or the National Network of PLHAs in Kenya (NEPHAK). There were fights and confusion over the name NEPHAK and one group even came up with the name NEPLAK just to distinguish themselves from the rest. Nevertheless, during these wrangles, the name NEPHAK had already become a household name among PLHAs and a recognized name in the national response to HIV and AIDS. In fact, the fight over the name NEPHAK was because the name was popular in Kenya and beyond.

NEPHAK as it is today emerged out of the progressive PLHAs leadership who were also supported with other partners and stakeholders to work towards a credible national network of PLHAs. PLHAs leadership and partners then worked through Task Forces and one such task force consisted of representatives from key PLHIV organizations and stakeholders who worked to establish an institutional framework, preparation of the constitution, establishment of the Secretariat, preparation of a strategic plan and the development of programs. With little capacity to implement activities and teething problems associated with new member organizations, NEPHAK had challenges functioning effectively and it did not take long before the challenges emerged again. A second Task Force was set up in 2002 to continue with the tasks of the first task force.

The second Task Force was also to oversee the institutionalization and operationalization of the strategies and systems developed by the first Task Force. With the support of the members, the Task Force successfully organized the first ever National PLHIV Conference in August 2002. During the Conference, the first National Committee of Representatives (the Board) was elected, and an amended constitution was ratified by the Delegates. The constitution, among other things, established organs of governance including National Delegates Conference, the Board and the Secretariat. The Task Force also prepared a revised strategy for revitalizing the network; and prepared advocacy strategy, public relations strategy and publicity materials, and proposed institutional review. This institutional review was later implemented as Organizational Self Assessment (OSA).

The network was finally registered as a non-governmental organization (NGO) in 2003 and a Secretariat established and in 2004, the network held its 2nd National Delegates Conference (NDC) and a new board elected to steer the network and provide oversight to the secretariat. NEPHAK Secretariat was very successful in fulfilling the vision and goals of the network during 2004 and 2007. In 2007, a new board was elected after the 3rd National Delegates Conference and this also came with challenges.