The Law Society of Kenya, Amnesty International Kenya, Kenya Human Rights Commission and Humanity Activism Knowledge Integrity (HAKI) Africa jointly raised concerns Tuesday over recent statements made by the President of Kenya regarding individuals involved in the legal battle over the ownership of Mumias Sugar Company. The organizations collectively stated: The Constitution of Kenya guarantees [...]
Search Results for: William Ruto
Kenya logging ban reinstated by land court amid environmental concerns
Kenya’s Environment and Land Court issued interim orders Wednesday against a policy directive reinstated by President William Ruto in July lifting a moratorium on logging pending the hearing and determination of a case filed by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK). In the ruling, Justice Oscar Angote, the presiding judge, also issued conservatory orders suspending [...]
Kenya Waits as the Finance Act Goes to Court: Considering the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The last four or so weeks have been dramatic in Kenyan corridors of power because of the controversial Finance Act, 2023. It is not only one of the first major laws that was pushed through by the new Kenya Kwanza government which came to power in September 2022, but it is also a law that [...]
Kenya rights groups call for action to calm hot political climate
Rights groups and civil society organisations in Kenya called Sunday for the urgent reconstitution of the country’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and the full repeal of the controversial Finance Act 2023 in a bid to calm the hot political climate in the country. Their call came after widespread demonstrations last week against the incumbent [...]
Associated Press: Kenya police ordered not to report deaths during protests
A Kenyan police official told the Associated Press on Thursday that police received a warning against reporting deaths that have occurred as a result of this week’s opposition protests over the country’s high cost of living. Although it was unclear who issued the direct order, it came after opposition leader Raila Odinga called for three [...]
Kenya's New National Digital ID System Presents Challenges and Opportunities in Equal Measure
With the recent resurgence of discussions surrounding digital identification in Kenya, it is time to take a closer look at the potential benefits and associated risks. In October 2021, the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS) introduced in January 2019 and popular as ‘Huduma Namba’, was declared illegal by the High Court for conflicting with [...]
Kenya police oversight body launches investigation into fatal police shootings of tax protesters
The Kenya Human Rights Commission announced Wednesday that police authorities killed at least three protesters on Wednesday and another seven on Tuesday. The deadly protests come only a week after police shot and killed two stone-throwing protesters from the nationwide taxation protests. As a result of the violence, Kenya’s Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) announced [...]
Kenya dispatch: more demonstrations over high cost of living prompt brutal police crackdown
Aynsley Genga is a JURIST Senior Correspondent in Kenya. She files this dispatch from Nairobi. On Wednesday, 12th July, Kenyans once again took to the streets to demonstrate against the tax-laden Finance Bill and the current high cost of living. The demonstrations took place under the guidance of Raila Odinga, Azimio party leader and the [...]
Aynsley Genga is a JURIST Senior Correspondent in Kenya. She files this dispatch from Nairobi. July 7th, also known as Saba Saba (7-7), is a very significant and historical day for Kenya as a nation. It was on this day 33 years ago, in 1990, that Kenyans all over the country took to the streets [...]
Aynsley Genga is a JURIST Senior Correspondent in Kenya. She files this dispatch from Nairobi. On Monday, 3rd July, the High Court of Kenya declared President William Ruto’s appointment of 50 Chief Administrative Secretaries (CAS) as unconstitutional. In a majority decision (2/3), the judges declared that due to lack of proper public participation as stipulated [...]