Post by Onyango Oloo on Jan 12, 2016 13:19:15 GMT 3
EXCERPT:
Kenyan non-governmental organisations (NGOs) head into 2016 facing a deeply uncertain future as their government intensifies its effort to crack down on an independent civil society. Between administrative harassment, legislative hurdles and a public campaign to tarnish their reputation, many NGOs are finding it harder and harder to perform their core function of holding the government to account.
The civil society sector in Kenya has long been one of Africa’s bravest and most vocal, and a model for others on the continent. The proliferation of effective NGOs in the country has placed civil society at the heart of efforts improve governance, but it has also, at times, put NGOs in direct conflict with the government.
The most serious example of this – the situation that precipitated the current uneasy atmosphere – is the prominent role played by NGOs in facilitating justice for the 2007-2008 post-election violence, which left more than 1 100 people dead. When Kenyan authorities showed little sign of taking action against the perpetrators, NGOs led the calls for the matter to be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC). These NGOs have since been vocal in demanding that Kenya cooperate and fulfil its legal obligations to the court.
Kenyatta's government has not forgotten civil society's role in its ICC woes
Their concerns only grew louder as two of the individuals implicated, Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto, ran for Kenya’s highest office, and won. They are now president and deputy president, respectively, and have spent much of their first term contesting the charges. ICC prosecutors dropped the charges against Kenyatta in December 2014, complaining that Kenya had blocked the case by not cooperating with the investigation.
Kenyatta’s administration has not forgotten civil society’s role in its troubles with the ICC, and has returned the favour by making life very difficult for NGOs in an effort to diminish civil society’s influence.
‘The atmosphere has been that of apprehension and suspicion, with civil society increasingly becoming apprehensive and suspicious that the Jubilee administration of President Kenyatta is aiming at closing the space,’ said Otsieno Namwaya, Kenya researcher for Human Rights Watch. ‘The government on the other hand has been very hostile towards NGOs, and particularly the human rights discourse, accusing them of promoting foreign interests. Because of this, the Jubilee party had made it very clear it would seek to control NGOs when it comes to power. To most people, this seems to be what Jubilee is doing.’
READ THE FULL TEXT:
www.issafrica.org/iss-today/think-again-civil-society-in-kenya-is-down-but-not-out
Kenyan non-governmental organisations (NGOs) head into 2016 facing a deeply uncertain future as their government intensifies its effort to crack down on an independent civil society. Between administrative harassment, legislative hurdles and a public campaign to tarnish their reputation, many NGOs are finding it harder and harder to perform their core function of holding the government to account.
The civil society sector in Kenya has long been one of Africa’s bravest and most vocal, and a model for others on the continent. The proliferation of effective NGOs in the country has placed civil society at the heart of efforts improve governance, but it has also, at times, put NGOs in direct conflict with the government.
The most serious example of this – the situation that precipitated the current uneasy atmosphere – is the prominent role played by NGOs in facilitating justice for the 2007-2008 post-election violence, which left more than 1 100 people dead. When Kenyan authorities showed little sign of taking action against the perpetrators, NGOs led the calls for the matter to be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC). These NGOs have since been vocal in demanding that Kenya cooperate and fulfil its legal obligations to the court.
Kenyatta's government has not forgotten civil society's role in its ICC woes
Their concerns only grew louder as two of the individuals implicated, Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto, ran for Kenya’s highest office, and won. They are now president and deputy president, respectively, and have spent much of their first term contesting the charges. ICC prosecutors dropped the charges against Kenyatta in December 2014, complaining that Kenya had blocked the case by not cooperating with the investigation.
Kenyatta’s administration has not forgotten civil society’s role in its troubles with the ICC, and has returned the favour by making life very difficult for NGOs in an effort to diminish civil society’s influence.
‘The atmosphere has been that of apprehension and suspicion, with civil society increasingly becoming apprehensive and suspicious that the Jubilee administration of President Kenyatta is aiming at closing the space,’ said Otsieno Namwaya, Kenya researcher for Human Rights Watch. ‘The government on the other hand has been very hostile towards NGOs, and particularly the human rights discourse, accusing them of promoting foreign interests. Because of this, the Jubilee party had made it very clear it would seek to control NGOs when it comes to power. To most people, this seems to be what Jubilee is doing.’
READ THE FULL TEXT:
www.issafrica.org/iss-today/think-again-civil-society-in-kenya-is-down-but-not-out