HRW condemns KDF over Garissa, says 52 injured

 Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned the KDF’s appraisal attack in Garissa following attack in which three soldiers had died on November 19.

In an online statement the organisation says an employee at Garissa Provincial Hospital said at least 52 people with severe injuries had been admitted there, at least eight of them with gunshot wounds on November 19 and 20, following the army reprisals.

“Witnesses told HRW that, immediately after the killings of the three officers, the Kenyan army surrounded the town, preventing anyone from leaving or entering, and started attacking residents and traders,” the statement says.

Witnesses also said that the military shot at people, raped women, and assaulted anyone in sight. Among the gunshot victims were two school boys who are claimed to have been home bound from school.

During the rampage soldiers also set fire to businesses among them Muqti market, the Alwaqaf building and Maua Posho Mill.

“The military remained in barracks on November 20, but regular police, administration police, and riot police continued the attacks,” HRW.

HRW now puts the government on the spot to end its arbitrary attacks by members of the military and police against residents of the northern region as a routine response to any attack on its security forces.

“The level of abuse by Kenyan security agencies following last week attack on three of its military officers is appalling and a complete contradiction of the government’s obligation to protect its citizens and guarantee their rights and freedoms,” said Leslie Lefkow, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch.

Lefkow says the government should respect the rule of law and ensure that its security agencies follow the strict letter of the law in detaining people before handing them over to the criminal justice system.

Dujis MP Aden Duale is quoted in the statement against the human rights abuses in Garissa saying,“over 70 people have been injured, some by gunshots from the Kenya Defense Forces, women have been raped.”

This not the first time HRW is accusing the government of complacency on armed forces in North Eastern, its May report “Criminal Reprials: Kenya Police and Military Abuses Against Ethnic Somalis” has been ignored.

“(We) documented serious abuses by security officers in the northern region following attacks in which security officers were killed. In October we documented cases of similar abuses in Mandera and Garissa, each time in response to a grenade or gun attack on security officers,” it says.

Following the report the military promised to end such violence to no avail and no one has not been detained or investigated or any evidence of any investigations by police into the abuses.

“The Kenyan government should take direct responsibility for the persistent abuses by its security forces in Northern Kenya, get them under control, and hold them to account,” Lefkow said

The 2009 Kenyan Census Results; the High number of Illegal Somali Immigrants in the Country Serious

The 2009 population and house census released at the end of August last year by hon. Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya showed the extent to which Kenya is at risk from over decade unrest in Somalia.

During the official release of the results the Ministry for Planning, National Development and Vision 2030 nullified about 2.4 million results of Kenyan of Somali descend due to massive inconsistency.

The 2,385, 572 figure of Kenyan Somalis which placed them as the sixth largest tribe in the country against the country’s 38,610,097 is nullified and awaits a further update after a recount.

“the ratio of increase in eight most affected districts was higher that the population dynamics like birth and death rates, age and sex too deviated from the norm while the household size was without significance to the number of household” the official release explained.

The affected districts included Lagdera, Wajir East, Mandera Central, Mandera East, Mandera West, Turkana Central, Turkana North and Turkana South.

The most affected are Lagdera and Wajir East with a total of 469,541.

This shows only a tip of the iceberg since the effect was not reflected in illegal immigrants inland.

The recount after the 24-25^th August 2009 census on the affected areas is expected to take longer. According to the official release, complexity of logistics like transport, insecurity concern and competition of other national interests like drought were the major challenges and will surely affect the count.

Additionally, the Ksh 8.4 billion budget allocation to the exercise has been allocated and new money will require a budgetary allocation before bureaucracy bottle neck starts.

The inconsistency is mostly caused by influx of Somali immigrants escaping the war in their country have had its effect not only in region, but all the way to Nairobi and Kampala.  

According to unpublished UN reports and leaked diplomatic cables in Wiki leaks, Kenyan government is heavily involved in the Somali crisis by pitting the weak transitional government against rebels Al-shabaab.

“Kenyan government have aided in training of police, armed forces and Kenyan Somali youths illegally for the Somali government” Michael Rennebeger is quoted in the latest Wiki leaks cables.

The leak goes further into blaming two Kenyan youths for carrying out suicide bombing in Mogadishu claiming 21 lives: 17 soldiers, 11 of which were Burundian, 4 civilians and injuring over 15 people.

The precursor to the effect portrayed by the census was the Somalia and Ethiopian forces fighting the Al-shabaab spilling over into Kenya at Mandera town, which was affected by the inconsistency, in the border region few weeks ago.

Kenyan government in Nairobi was caught flat footed as over 20 people were killed and other injured. It took a serious of denial before TV footage forced Kenya to act during the heavy shelling and gun fight.

Although Kenyan forces helped subdue the uprising and increased border patrol and crack down of Somali immigrants traveling inland, the mood with Al-shabaab is frosty.

The terrorist has vowed a suicide attack in Kenya akin to the one they carried out during the final of world cup in Kampala Uganda which claimed more than 70 lives and injured over 100.

Sadly, the attack was planned by Kenyan Somalis and planned in Kenya showing how vulnerable the country is.

Prof. George Saitoti Kenyan security minister is adamant that Kenya is not involved in Somalia crisis and wont sent its troop in volatile country although Kenyan security is suffering from the war.

“Kenya will sent security forces along its border with Somalia to beef up the security” the minster is quoted telling the parliament and Kenyans.

This has interception of illegal immigrants from North Eastern and Nairobi’s Eastleigh estate with high number of immigrants.

These antics may go down the drain with corruption in immigration ministry, sense of victimization of Somalis and Muslims curtailing the processes.

Police commissioner Mathews Iteere reacting to Al-shabaab threat in Kenya recently released 9 suspects wanted for aiding Al-shabaab in planning an attack. The police too aided in fouling a Kampala bomber in Nairobi trying to reach Uganda by bus.

A recount of the census in the affected regions should be speeded up and the reasons of inconsistency brought out and immigrants in the region known and registered as refugees.

Why is the recount important?

“Collecting demographic and socio-economic data is essential for decision making process in government and stake holders in policy formulation” Edward Sambili, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Planning, National Development and Vision 2030 is quoted talking to journalist in a workshop.

On the other hand, the citizens of these districts and other stakeholders like trader and NGOs have the right to the results as all other Kenyans.

The 2009 population and housing census have shown Kenya’s soft under belly, the sustainable recount should show the way forward.