The visit of the Dutch royal couple provided another opportunity to alert the international community that accountability and justice for the 65 dead young protesters, the 89 who were abducted and those still injured like Nyerian Brian Mwangi, remains unaddressed. It also created a moment to test whether the Netherlands could combine respect for human…
The moment all authoritarians dread showed up this week. Despite several efforts to insulate himself from the deaths of thousands of Filipinos, former President Rodrigo Duterte (71) was arrested Tuesday. Now before the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, what signal does this send to other authoritarians world-wide? The 50-year-old dominance of the…
As Dutch authorities prepare for the official state visit to Kenya this week to intensify bilateral Dutch-Kenya relations, Amnesty International calls on both authorities to place human rights at the heart of the visit, address human rights violations and commit to accountability for all victims following the recent brutal crackdown on human rights. The Dutch…
Nairobi, 3 October 2024: The deferring of plea-taking against 12 Police Commanders and Officers accused of killing Baby Pendo and perpetrating several human rights violations against several Kisumu citizens under application by the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions today is a major disappointment to several survivors and victim’s families. The officers face charges that…
Nairobi County Governor Arthur Sakaja has announced his intention to dispose of 120 bodies currently lying at the Nairobi Funeral Home within seven days. Given the pattern of ongoing enforced disappearances and numerous mysterious deaths since the protests started in June, a business-as-usual approach may drag state officers into courts in future if they do…
Nairobi, Thursday, 25th July 2024: Amnesty International Kenya welcomes the ruling by High Court Judge Kanyi Kimondo that 11 Police Commanders and Officers have a case to answer in the case of Baby Samantha Pendo. The officers are being charged with 47 crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, and rape. In 2017, police raided Nyalenda…
Nairobi, 13th July 2024. The Police Reforms Working Group Kenya (PRWG-K) and Civic Freedoms Forums (CFF) are deeply shocked and saddened by the recent discovery of at least six dismembered bodies at the Kware dumpsite near Mukuru Kwa Njenga slums in Nairobi. These dismembered bodies were found wrapped in sacks and polythene bags of assorted…
In a public statement issued today, Amnesty International is raising concerns about the lack of transparency regarding the establishment of human rights safeguards for the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in Haiti, that is expected to be deployed in the coming months. “It is imperative to ensure that any action taken by this multinational mission…
By Irũngũ Houghton Public reaction to the sentencing of Baby Sagini’s cousin, grandmother, and aunt this week seems muffled in contrast to the widespread horror expressed seven months ago. Seeking justice is often a long process. Distracted by our own daily challenges, we often miss the all-important end to a chapter of injustice that once…
The right to assemble, protest and demonstrate has been in focus once again this year. Since March, the Azimio La Umoja demonstrations against the cost of living have been marred by violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement. Several human rights organisations, claim police have committed atrocities and used unlawful force in areas like Nyalenda,…
Recently, the Court of Appeal declared mandatory life imprisonment unconstitutional. The three-judge decision came from a petition by Julius Kitsao, who was convicted of defiling a four-year-old girl under Section 8 of the Sexual Offences Act. He argued that imposing a mandatory minimum sentence of life imprisonment was unconstitutional. The court agreed with some of…