A non-governmental organisation championing human rights defenders’ rights wants the national government to implement recommendations it accepted during the UN universal periodic review.
The National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) in Kenya executive director Kamau Ngugi said the government was in agreement and accepted 23 recommendations from various countries around the world during the review on the status of human right in Kenya. However, Ngugi said, the country has done little efforts in implementing the recommendations.
Among them is the 2013 Public Benefits Organisations Act (PBOA) that Norway recommended be implemented as soon as possible.
“There has been reluctance from the government in implementing these recommendations despite accepting them. We want the government to honour its word and embark on a journey in implementing the recommendations,” Ngugi said on Monday in Nakuru.
Other recommendations accepted by Kenya touch on freedom of expression and the media, freedom of association and amendment of the restrictive laws.
“Since the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in May 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland, the government has not implemented the recommendations despite making commitments. In January 2015, Kenya was under review and on HRD recommendations, no progress yet as HRDs, journalists and activists continue to suffer, face harassment and persecution for the work they do,” Kamau added.
He said that the PBOA is yet to be implemented and the government has also been slow in investigating and prosecuting perpetrators of attacks against human rights defenders, something that Slovakia recommended.
However, some recommendations did not enjoy the support of Kenya.
“Take a case of the security laws. The government did not support Spain’s recommendation on ensuring the security laws amendment bill is in line with the human rights, by limiting pre- trial detention,” he said.
The executive director said that they are embarking on sensitizing the public on recommendations the government was in support of and those it did not agree and lobby for the implementation of the recommendations.