US releases embarrassing report on Kenya

janet ndila

April 21, 2018 5:29 PM

US gives verdict on the state of affairs in Kenya

A new report released by the US State Department has put Kenya on the spotlight, due to rampant lawlessness and human rights violations.

The Annual Human Rights Report published on Friday noted that massive corruption and impunity continue to thrive with officials evading justice and responsibility for their crimes “despite public statements by the president and deputy president and police and judicial reforms”.

The report read in part that “despite some progress in fighting corruption during the year, the government did not implement relevant laws effectively, and officials frequently engaged in alleged corrupt practices with impunity” .

Saturday Nation reported that the global survey points to numerous human rights violations including “unlawful and politically motivated killings, forced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, torture, life-threatening prison conditions and “an inefficient judiciary.”

According to the document, credible reports put the number of Kenyan civilians killed due to police violence following the disputed August elections at a minimum of 35.

Around 26 October repeat polls, another 24 civilian lives were lost due to both police action and mob violence with no police deaths or injuries within the same period.

The report pointed out that the government “occasionally engages in direct restrictions on freedom of the press” and influences reporting due to its status as the largest source of advertising revenue for Kenyan media houses.

According to the State Department, reporting was also compromised as “journalists practiced self-censorship to avoid conflict with the government on sensitive subjects”.

The State Department also noted that violence against women, including rape and female genital cutting goes unpunished in some instances

Also pointed out in the report was the “criminalisation of same-sex sexual conduct” and overcrowding in Kenyan prisons according latest the Prison Service statistics.

The damning report came out at a time when the country’s leadership are putting in spirited efforts to woo investors following the surprise truce between opposition chief Raila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta.

janet ndila