The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has raised concern over increased cases of defilement and gender based violence as the emerging forms of human rights violation in the county.
Other cases of human rights violation touch on the issues of land conflicts and marginalization, leading to underdevelopment.
Over the years, forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, torture and abductions have been highlighted as the main human rights violations in Garissa county especially due to the issue of insecurity associated with Al shabaab terror group.
Speaking after opening a new office in Garissa, the KNCHR Chief Executive Officer Dr. Bernard Mogesa however said that the government and other stakeholders are working to address the issues.
“In Garissa, some of the areas of concern in terms of human rights violations is Gender Based Violence. We have in the past also investigated cases of defilement and issues around community land where violations were reported and there is also the question of marginalization which has caused underdevelopment,” Mogesa said.
“We are also calling for collaboration between our security agencies with members of the public. The collaboration is very important in order to safeguard and secure Garissa County,” he added.
The Garissa Acting County Commissioner Sebastian Okiring lauded the KNCHR for opening the Garissa office, noting that it was a show of commitment to deepening human rights protections and fostering accountability.
Okiring urged the KNCHR to help in upholding the dignity of all citizens, and ensure that state and non-state actors are held accountable especially in the aspect of insecurity and marginalization.
On the issue of forced disappearances and abductions, the acting County Commissioner noted that, together with other security apparatus, they have taken lead in looking at the allegations case by case to ensure that no one is violated.
“I want to assure the citizens of this county that no one will be oppressed. For the short period I have been here, we have been hearing that there are statistics of forced disappearances and abductions or those who have been violated. I have taken the responsibility of looking at case by case in collaboration with other security agencies to find out the truth about these allegations,” Okiring said.
“I know that the security agencies have been blamed for most of these cases but we have found out that there are cases perpetrated in the communities by members of the society who want to oppress others,” he added.
Mukhtar Dahir, a human rights defender welcomed the launch of the office describing it as long overdue.
He said the establishment of a KNCHR office was not just a strategic administrative decision but strong statement of inclusion and equality.
“Cases of human rights violations in this part of the country are well documented. We deal with numerous cases of human rights violations ranging from extra judicial killings, enforced disappearance, arbitrary arrest, abductions, police brutality and gender based violence almost on a daily basis,” Dahir said.
“As human rights defenders it has been extremely tough on our end because we have not had KNHCR office around here, forcing us to always refer or seek support from our colleagues mostly in Nairobi. This obviously comes with its inconveniences,” he added.
Mukhtar said that their work has been made easier with the office now located in Garissa calling on residents to make good use of the office by reporting cases of human rights violation so that they can be acted upon swiftly.
Fatuma Badhi another human rights defender said the presence of a KNCHR office marks a significant step forward in promoting justice, accountability and inclusive development for all residents.
She regretted the increasing cases of Gender Based Violence including wife battering, defilement, rape and FGM, challenging all stakeholders to continue working closely in order to curb the vices.
“As a human rights defender in this area I couldn’t be much happier. From now, residents will be able to report human rights violations directly without the burden of traveling long distances,” she said.
By Erick Kyalo
