Concerns over Kenya’s human rights record have cast a shadow over a UN decision that gave Kenya the go ahead to lead an armed multinational force to Haiti amid brutal gang violence in the Caribbean country.
For a year, the multinational force, comprising 1,000 Kenya police personnel, is expected to combat criminal gangs responsible for a wave of killings, kidnappings, and rape in Haiti.
But human rights groups argue that Kenya’s history of human rights abuses must be evaluated.
Kenya’s police have often been criticized for a violent approach toward containing demonstrations. Dozens of civilians were killed during anti-government protests in the East African country in July this year. The UN expressed concern at the time about police brutality during the protests in Kenya, adding that up to 23 people may have been killed during the demonstrations.
The Kenya National Civil Society Center has also opposed the deployment of the country’s police personnel to Haiti, accusing it of “extrajudicial killings.”
“The Kenya Police Service is notorious for its excessive use of force and continues to take the flak to the large number of extrajudicial killings and arbitrary execution of protestors during the recent anti-government protests,” the organization was quoted by CNN affiliate, Citizen Digital.
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