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72 regional and international civil society organizations and individuals from 22 countries raise collective condemnation of harassment of CSOs in Kenya
AFRICOG

Following the 8 August 2017 elections whose results are disputed, the Government of Kenya embarked on a crackdown on selected non-governmental organizations. There have also been reports of killings and sexual harassment by police and suspected state-sponsored gangs especially in urban slums assumed to be support bases of the opposition NASA coalition.

We, the undersigned civil society organizations, working to advance human rights of all people in different countries, categorically condemn the recent intimidation, threats and illegal attempts by the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) Co-ordination Board to de-register and systematically bankrupt targeted Kenyan civil society organizations and their respective leadership.

We particularly condemn the Board’s letter of 14 August 2017 de-registering the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and ordering the Central Bank of Kenya to freeze all its accounts, as well as the letter of 15 August 2017 to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation seeking the closure of the Africa Centre for Open Governance (AfriCOG) and the arrest of its directors.

We further denounce in the strongest terms the most recent raid by the police and Kenya Revenue Authority of the AfriCOG offices, which contravenes the spirit of the constitution with regards to freedoms of association and expression.

We have witnessed an election that is still unsettled, with results that are still very much in contention.

We condemn the killing and brutalization of innocent Kenyans, especially those in poor and densely populated urban settlements who were exercising their rights to demonstrate during the post-8 August 2017 electoral period.

We are dismayed by the arbitrary killings of innocent civilians including children that has come to our attention and increasingly worried about sexual violence and harassment of Kenyan women and girls who are rendered most vulnerable during periods such as this.

 The Government of Kenya has an obligation to arrest and bring to justice those involved in the wonton destruction of property, brutality, murder and sexual harassment and violence of civilians. We call upon the government of Kenya to protect the lives of all Kenyans, by guaranteeing their fundamental rights to exercise freedom of expression and association, as enshrined in the 2010 Constitution and other regional, continental and international norms and treaties to which Kenya is a party. 

We are in agreement that Kenya is in need of healing, reconciliation, social cohesion, peaceful co-existence and, very importantly, justice. 

We reiterate and boldly state the fact that Kenya cannot afford to be shackled by violence in all forms, state sponsored brutality and threats to non-state actors such as KHRC and AfriCOG.  And we state unequivocally that this only serves to exacerbate an already fractious political situation.  These acts only add to the tension and have to be publicly denounced. We call for the investigation and for accountability for the violations of these rights as well as the rights to life, dignity and bodily integrity.

We, therefore, call on the Kenyan Government, in particular the Ministry of Interior and Co-ordination of National Government, to ensure that all citizens and residents of Kenya are allowed to freely exercise their constitutional rights, including freedoms of expression and association and to live free from violence, intimidation and fear.

We acknowledge the recent move by the Cabinet Secretary of the Interior Ministry in ordering the Kenya NGO Board to suspend the de-registration orders for 90 days and constitute a committee in consultation with CSOs to address the issues.

The validity of the civil society is integral in building holistic and democratic nation states.

Finally, we call on regional bodies including the East African Community and the African Union to ensure that Kenya complies with its national and international obligations including the protection of individuals and their fundamental rights of freedoms of expression and association.

All Kenyan lives matter!

For more information contact: Yves Niyiragira : [email protected], telephone: + 254 20 3749346

& Mildred Ngesa: [email protected] , telephone: +254 727137853

Endorsed by:-

Name

Organization

Country

Dinah Musindarwezo

FEMNET

Regional

Yves Niyiragira 

Fahamu

Regional

Achieng Akena

Pan African Citizens Network (PACIN)

Kenya

Jimmy Ochieng

Student

Kenya

Grace Munduru Merct

FIDA-Uganda

Uganda

Tafadzwa Muropa

individual

Zimbabwe

Okeke Julie

Women Initiative for Peace and Good Governance (WIPGG)

Nigeria

Steven

Business

Kenya

Alice Junqueira

Red MÁS

Brazil

Bose Ironsi Ironsi

Women's Rights and Health Project

Nigeria

Eunice Mwende

Africa Centre for Open Governance

Kenya

Lee Webster

Womankind Worldwide

UK

Gabriel Dolan

Haki Yetu

Kenya

Jean Claude Kalinganire

APALAC coalition

Pays Bas

Migai Akech

University of Nairobi

Kenya

Zahid Rajan

AwaaZ

Kenya

Zarina Patel

AwaaZ

Kenya

Kimani Nyoike

Inuka Kenya Ni Sisi

Kenya

June Waudby

Amnesty

UK

Firoze Manji

Daraja Press

Canada

Isis Alvarez

Global Forest Coalition

Colombia

Catherine Duru

Echoes of Women in Africa

Nigeria

Rogaya Hamza Osman

PASED

Sudan

Flavia Mwangovya

Equality Now

Kenya

Okumba  Miruka

Consultant

Kenya

NJERI KABEBERI

GREENPEACE AFRICA

South Africa

Salome Nduta

NCHRD-K

Kenya

Winnie Maru

Forum for Young Women in Politics

Kenya

Steph Muchai

Hivos East Africa

Kenya

Peter Ngo'la Owiti

Wote Youth Development Projects

Kenya

Pauline Lambou

Leading Women of Africa

Cameroon

KUWONU Kafui

WiLDAF West  Africa

Togo

Loretta Ahuokpeme

Our Lady of Perpetual help initiative

Nigeria

Hanna Gunnarsson

WECF

Germany

Sehnaz Kiymaz

Women for Women's Human Rights - New Ways

Türkiye

Sara Katrine Brandt

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation

Denmark

Jedidah Maina

TICAH

Kenya

Muthoni Ngige

Minority Women in Action

Kenya

Denise Nzila Kayika

FIFEF

DR Congo

S Katuu

Private

Austria

Gia Gaspard Taylor

Network of Rural Women Producers

Trinidad & Tobago

Francis Romani Selasini

NAFGEM

Tanzania

Chris Mbiti

PEN

Kenya

Njoki Wamai

University of Cambridge

United Kingdom

Yakhama Kristine

Good Health Community Programmes

Kenya

Onyango Oloo

Sankara Centre for Social Movements

Kenya

K. Obeng

Tax Justice Network Africa (TJNA)

Kenya

Riva Jalipa

Tax Justice Network Africa

Kenya

Bola Olajuwon

The Nation Newspaper

Nigeria

Michelle Mbuthia

TJNA

Kenya

Kamala Dickson

Vision East Africa Forum (VEAF)

Tanzania

Bizimana Charles

Coalition for Tax and Governance

Burundi

Alain Ndikuriyo

F.A.S

Burundi

East African Civil Society Organizations Forum

Kaze Dorine

FESA

Burundi

Andre Miburo

COPER

Burundi

Beata Kamana

FUCOS

Burundi

Kubwimana Desire

SOHORAMABOKO

Burundi

Gahungu Venany

TWIYUNGE

Burundi

Prosper Kalungi

FGM

RDC

Bukuru Donatienne

REGA

Burundi

Beatrice Kwizera

BUTERERE ASBL

Burundi

Atrocities Watch                

Ndayishimiye Emerence

PADEC

Burundi

Bakame Julienne

CEFAD

Burundi

Ndikuriyo Jeannine

BUFAD

Burundi

Kalema Kalumba

FARDCECO

RDC

Kasavubu Clement

DIFARDC

RDC

Fataï Aina

Amis de l'Afrique Francophone- Benin (AMAF-BENIN)

Benin

Nick Mathiason

Finance Uncovered

UK

Jean Mballa

CRADEC

Cameroon

Christine Omao

Dandelion Kenya

Kenya