Extra-judicial killings, have we given in? Kenya's impunity fights back..Human Rights Defenders

Sowing lies about human rights defenders to cover up extra-judicial killings and the ‘disappeared’- Not yet new constitution till we change!

By Philo Ikonya

“But eternal vigilance is not written in any of the world’s constitutions or ours. It rests in our beings. We chose to for -reasons maybe even unknown to us- to defend human rights. Let us not close our eye thinking that the letter of the law will keep vigil for us all the time. We must be careful. Light your candle forever, Philo” (speech to self)


This Friday afternoon, I received a message from *SA in Nairobi. He wrote:
26th NOVEMBER 2010

“Just came from mortuary to see the body of the young man. He was 21. His mother cant believe it. They had put all their wealth on his schooling and now it is gone by police bullet. We still have not received any support to profile the young man’s life. I am working on seeing how the family can profile the incidence. The police who did is still uniformed and in possession of a gun and going business as usual. My phone calls are now not only tapped but get hanged up just like that….”
The one who works with me on publicity is also in trouble, SA went on to explain. It is not yet new constitution back here.”
SA
Just a week before another desperate cry had appeared on the same list serve. *UT said he would not be surprised if he got no response from anyone for informing that one young man was missing and was feared dead in police hands. This is so common an occurrence in Kenya, that maybe we are getting used to it.

24th of Nov 2010

Fellow comrades.

Its so sad that every time my mind thinks of posting on this mailing list,I always bring problems which some times nobody reponds and the system oppression advances and it also places me in a desperate state.
Any way i just wanted to bring to your attention that this morning i received another case of one Samuel Oricho from kisumu manyatta kandole who was arrested by Flying squad police one and a half months ago and he is know where to be seen.His family members have been going to central police kisumu to enquire more on his condition but the OCS chases them away and even threatens them. Samuel was a known matatu tout in manyatta and kondele and he had great influence in the area. There fore any one is willing to stand against this injustice and can contact ISAAC who was close friend to him through 0724 101013 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              0724 101013      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Regards

HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER.
BUNGE LA MWANCHI


The haunting calls of Mama Wainaina came back to my ears. That was in 2007, May. I have heard so many women and widows cry about this.
Mama Wai as they called her, cried in a way that suggested to me that she would cry forever and that soon, she would too be buried. For there are not so many people that can such sorrows face. I know that when in a poem I wrote that her voice was like filled with shards of glass in it, I was not exaggerating. Sometimes, the pain of such a terrible loss tears voices into pieces.
So, SA, soon the mother of this other young man from Mathare who cannot believe it now, will soon overcome initial denial and she too start crying and then her own cries will tear her through her heart and rip her body. It is not true that her son can RIP. Rest in Peace. What is worse is that it seems as if we have given up on these cases in Kenya.

Before W there was B and many others: one by one they left us

We made our noises, for which you get threatened yourself SA when B coming from a football match in Huruma, B whom everyone knew and knew how he behaved was shot dead right outside his home. The policeman who killed him had shot many other boys dead. And he was still patrolling the area of Huruma many months afterwards. You know that policemen who beat up human rights activists were promoted in Ali’s days, the former commissioner of police. There is a lot more you do not know and I cannot tell here.
I had responded to his initial message where SA announced the killing of this young man on a list serve because I know that the list serve is infiltrated by Kenyan intelligence. Three days later, neither SA nor UT have heard from any of the organizations we count on. Are the enemies of Human Rights winning this battle? Will they manage to split us all and to stop so many?
The struggle is only protracted. Vigilance is eternal. Eternal vigilance is the price we must pay for human rights.


Ever since Philip Alston’s report of 2009, and the consequent killings of Oulo GPO and Oscar King’ara who has not suffered? These killings were calculated at driving fear deep into our bones. In the days of Commissioner Hussein Ali and even now, it is the same. They want us voiceless and quiet. Alston reported that more than 3 000 young men had been killed and often disappeared in Kenya mostly on the basis that they belong to a proscribed sect. No due process is followed. The Attorney General from Kenya denied this report and would have had P. Alston sacked in Geneva if he could. Commissioner Ali did the same and even the military stepped in and denied the report.

It is as if they do not read what happens in the rest of the world. They have not seen other country reports also done in ten days. Recall the ridiculous comments. They went to town over the period it took to do the report and blamed Human Rights Activists for the results. They blamed organizations instead of wondering how come we are getting into such reports…. Kenya was not like this before. And we were saying this outside of Parliament when we got badly beaten up and harassment was organized to keep us down long after that. Let us look at some recent messages and reports in the media.
I enquired in April 2010. I got this answer. It shows how organizations are being crushed.


One
Dear P,
Thanks a lot for your response. It is true that people are still disappearing. In April 2010, Kirimi Kenneth an RPP member, was abducted by ‘police Officers’ from the notorious ‘Kwe Kwe’ squad and sedated and found himself in an isolated house. On learning of this RPP together with other human rights exerted pressure until he was dumped at Suswa on your way to Narok.

We picked him. He had been tortured by them. The police officers knew more about him and the work we do. They gave him two weeks in order to know their fate. They also said that they will deal with Stephen Musau RPP Executive Co-ordinator. The officers concern was why we were documenting cases of extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances and why we were pushing for inclusion of the current period thus review of the TJR Act of 2008. According to Kirimi, he informed us that there was another person in a separate room who was writhing in pain calling his mother saying that he had broken his leg. The officers went with said Karanja on a Saturday and he did not return with him.”


Two
June 21 2010 9 45 am
Colleagues,

I have just come from Central police station. I have talked to Jacop Odipo, Hellen Ayuma and Susan Achieng and later held a meeting with the Deputy DCIO together with representatives fron Kamukunji Human Rights Defenders and Bunge la Mwananchi. The deputy DCIO has informed us that his hands are tied and that the DCIO is the only person who can authorise for the release or give bond to the accused persons. The DCIO was said to be in a meeting with the Director of Uhuru Park. The deputy OCPD refused to give us the CELL PHONE of the DCIO. He told us to wait for him.

The accused’s fingerprints and statements have been taken and they might be taken to court tomorrow morning with Creating Disturbances although the officers are not giving information.

I am requesting all of you to circulate this information to the rest of the colleagues and avail yourself tomorrow morning in in order to establish the court they will be taken. We have also agreed that we try and have people in Makadara, Kibera and Nairobi Law Courts (High Court) and Central police station in order to ensure that they are not sneaked without our knowledge.

Further, i appeal to those people / organisations with cash bail to process in advance. also Human Rights advocates should be informed of the arrests.

Regards

Dear M,

I am sorry to hear about the arrests of Odipo, Susan and Hellen. Please let me know about developments and also send them my special greetings and tell them to take courage. This IS rather strange and reflects badly on the system as usual.



best,
M
Links
Pay victims of Police killings, Muite demands
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000020959&catid=159&a=1
MPs probe dumping of bodies
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000020178&catid=159&a=
Human Rights Defenders accuse state of complicity
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000019554&catid=289&a=1
State comes under stinging criticism over ‘renditions’
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000019548&catid=4&a=1
MPs claim police behind murders http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000019447&catid=4&a=1