Rights body gives fresh evidence of Kenya poll violence

By Magdalene Mukami and Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - The Human Rights Watch released a new report on Monday presenting “fresh evidence of election-period abuses” involving police and armed gangs who killed dozens in 2017.

According to the rights body, more than 37 people were killed in capital Nairobi alone between September and November last year during Kenya’s repeat presidential election that the opposition leader Raila Odinga boycotted.

Otsieno Namwaya, Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: “Authorities need to acknowledge the full scale of election-related violence, and thoroughly investigate each and every killing.”

The report added: "Police killed at least 23 people, most of them opposition supporters, during and after the second phase of the 2017 presidential elections in various Nairobi neighborhoods, and armed gangs killed at least 14.”

The government pathologist has indicated that most of the youths who were killed were shot at close range by a high-caliber rifle, nearly all of them are from opposition strongholds such as Nairobi’s Muthurwa, Kawangware, Kibera, Mathare, Dandora, Kariobangi, Babadogo, and Riverside neighborhoods, it said.

Meanwhile, Kenyan government spokesman Eric Kiraithe said: “Often we have quarrels with what they [Human Rights Watch] present but basically our responsibility is to go through the report and to take any necessary action that it may disclose to protect the citizens of this country, and improve the quality of service delivery by security services.”

He added: "Any human rights abuses concern the government and if there is any other thing to be corrected, the way police act we take the relevant action.”