Trained in Terror
The British trained the Kenyan army in counter-terrorism tactics that are being used with devastating force against its own people
By Ben Rawlence
Published in The Guardian
Kenya is one of the first beneficiaries of "Operation Monogram," the British government's counter-terrorism training and equipment foreign assistance program, because it shares a border with war-torn Somalia and because of its own experience of terrorist attacks. Research by Human Rights Watch has now provided hard evidence of abuses by Kenyan security forces that received British training. The British government should be working proactively to ensure that these security forces act according to the law. The US, which is involved in the same places for the same reasons, should follow suit.
July 30, 2008 Commentary
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Kenya: Punish War Crimes in Mt. Elgon
Account for ‘Disappeared,’ Investigate Torture and Killings
The Kenyan government should account for dozens of missing people detained during the security operation in Mt. Elgon, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Human Rights Watch also called on Kenya to support independent investigations into torture and war crimes committed by security forces, and urged donors, including London and Washington, to review military aid to Kenya.
July 28, 2008 Press Release
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"All The Men Have Gone"
War Crimes in Kenya’s Mt. Elgon Conflict
 | This 52-page report documents war crimes committed by a militia group, the Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF) and by Kenyan security forces responding to the crisis in Mt. Elgon, western Kenya. The investigation found that since 2006 the SLDF has terrorized thousands, killing and torturing hundreds of people. The government deployed forces in March 2008 to quell the SLDF, and Kenyan police, paramilitary and military tortured hundreds of men detained in mass round-ups. At least 37 people remain “disappeared” after being taken into custody by the security forces. |
HRW Index No.: 1-56432-363-3
July 28, 2008 Report
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Letter to the Minister of Education regarding concern over continued use of corporal punishment against children
We are writing to urge you to take decisive action on the problem of violence against children, and specifically corporal punishment in schools and in other settings. We believe that in your new role as Minister of Education, you will have a crucial function in improving the future of young Kenyans and protecting their rights.
July 23, 2008 Letter
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Letter to Minister for Gender and Children Affairs regarding concern over continued use of corporal punishment against children
We are writing to urge you to take decisive action on the problem of violence against children, and specifically corporal punishment in schools and in other settings. We believe that in your new role as Minister of Gender and Children Affairs, you will have a crucial function in improving the future of young Kenyans and protecting their rights.
July 23, 2008 Letter
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Letter to Minister for Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affair regarding concern over continued use of corporal punishment against children
We are writing to urge you to take decisive action on the problem of violence against children, and specifically corporal punishment in schools and in other settings. We believe that in your new role as Minister of Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs, you will have a crucial function in improving the future of young Kenyans and protecting their rights.
July 23, 2008 Letter
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Kenya: Government Should End All Corporal Punishment
The government should make it a priority to end violence against children whether in the home, school or elsewhere, five human rights organizations said today in joint letters to Kenya’s ministers of education, gender and children affairs, and justice.
July 23, 2008 Press Release
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Amnesty is a Red Herring
By Ben Rawlence and Clive Baldwin
Published in The Standard
The debate about amnesty in Kenya has become intensely politicized. The Prime Minister and the President are taking apparently opposing positions. The dangers of the debate turning sour are obvious, threatening to undermine the fragile solidarity that gave birth to the National Accord and Reconciliation Act and the coalition government. What should be the way forward?
June 16, 2008 Commentary
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Kenya: Stop Forcing Displaced People to Return Home
Government Should Ensure Returns Are Voluntary and Secure
The Kenyan government should immediately stop forced returns of internally displaced people and ensure that all returns are safe and voluntary, Human Rights Watch said today.
May 22, 2008 Press Release
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Kenya: Proposed Truth Commission Bill Seriously Flawed
Parliament Should Amend Legislation to Close Loopholes
Kenya’s draft bill to establish a Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission is flawed and should be amended, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch urged parliament to revise the bill before it becomes law.
May 14, 2008 Press Release
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Kenya: Army and Rebel Militia Commit War Crimes in Mt. Elgon
End Murder, Torture, and Rape of Civilians
The rebel Sabaot Land Defence Force and the Kenyan military are responsible for horrific abuses, including killings, torture and rape of civilians, in a little-known armed conflict in the Mt. Elgon area of western Kenya, Human Rights Watch said today in a joint statement with two Kenyan human rights organizations, Mwatikho and Western Kenya-Human Rights Watch (WKHRW). (Human Rights Watch and Western Kenya-Human Rights Watch are entirely separate organizations).
April 3, 2008 Press Release
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Off-target
When missile strikes at alleged terrorists go awry, U.S. policy takes a hit.
By Jennifer Daskal and Leslie Lefkow
Published in The Los Angeles Times
On March 3 two Tomahawk missiles were launched toward Dobley, Somalia in the fourth U.S. airstrike aimed at individuals with Al Qaeda links in Somalia since January 2007. While missing its target, shrapnel from the missiles injured six civilians, a pattern that echoes previous U.S. strikes in Somalia. Such strikes inevitably turn ordinary Somalis against the United States, thereby bolstering support for militant groups, while the human rights and humanitarian crisis that terrorists feed off -- and that U.S. policies exacerbate -- is largely ignored. Additionally, the Ethiopian military offensive that ousted the ruling Islamist authority from Mogadishu and installed a weak but internationally backed transitional government triggered a predictable insurgency by both Islamist militants and ordinary Somalis, with the resulting conflict having led to thousands of civilian deaths and displaced persons. Ultimately, an effective counter-terrorism policy must address the underlying human rights and humanitarian tragedies that are fueling the crisis, as it has become clear that eliminating a few alleged terrorists will not solve these deeper problems.
March 28, 2008 Commentary
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Kenya: Justice Vital to Stability
Prosecutions Key to Ending Violence, Police Abuses
The new coalition government should bring to justice individuals responsible for recent and past episodes of political violence, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. The new coalition government can help stabilize the country by bringing to justice the organizers of violence on all sides.
March 17, 2008 Press Release
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Ballots to Bullets
Organized Political Violence and Kenya's Crisis of Governance
 | This 81-page report documents how hundreds of lives were lost due to organized political and ethnic violence sparked by irregularities in the December 2007 presidential elections. The report also describes unlawful killings by the Kenyan police, who used excessive force in responding to demonstrations, killing hundreds of people. |
HRW Index No.: A2001
March 17, 2008 Report
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Kenya: Justice Vital to Stability
 | The new coalition government should bring to justice individuals responsible for recent and past episodes of political violence. |
March 17, 2008 Graphic
Kenya: Justice Key to Securing Lasting Peace
Positive Steps in Agreement on Election Review, Constitutional Reform
The political agreement in Kenya mediated by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is a step forward, but Kenyan politicians must take immediate steps to ensure accountability for human rights violations if further negotiations are to build lasting stability, Human Rights Watch said today.
February 17, 2008 Press Release
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Hearing, “The Immediate and Underlying Causes and Consequences of Flawed Democracy in Kenya.”
United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Subcommittee on African Affairs
Thank you, Chairman Feingold, and Members of the Committee, for inviting Human Rights Watch to participate in this hearing. My name is Chris Albin-Lackey and I am a senior researcher with the Africa Division of Human Rights Watch. Just over a week ago I returned from a research mission that began our ongoing assessment of the human rights impact of Kenya’s post-election crisis. We will be carrying out more research on the ground in the coming weeks that will seek to document the effect of the ongoing violence on ordinary Kenyans, identify the individuals most responsible for fomenting it and contribute towards charting a way forward that addresses the underlying causes of the crisis.
February 7, 2008 Testimony
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The Right Way Forward for Kenya
By Chris Albin-Lackey and Ben Rawlence
Published in The print edition of The Standard
Kenya's electoral crisis is spinning out of control, threatening the country's future, and exacting a terrible toll on thousands of ordinary Kenyans. Hundreds have been killed and thousands more chased out of their homes by mobs made up of former neighbours. The need for a political settlement between Kibaki and Odinga grows more urgent by the day as violence spreads and public anger deepens. But any compromise should address the crime that sparked this crisis to begin with— the rigging of Kenya's Presidential poll.
January 30, 2008 Commentary
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Kenya: AU Leaders Should Urge Probe After Election Fraud
Kenyan Authorities Should Ensure Accountability for Post-Election Violence
African leaders attending the African Union summit in Addis Ababa on February 1-2, 2008 should call for an independent inquiry into post-election violence and election fraud in Kenya, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to the African Union Commission’s chairman, Alpha Oumar Konaré.
January 29, 2008 Press Release
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Letter to H.E. Alpha Konare of the AU on the situation in Kenya
Your Excellency,
Human Rights Watch very much welcomes your public statement on the Voice of America on January 27 calling for an immediate end to tensions in Kenya and a durable solution to the current political crisis.
January 29, 2008 Letter
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