Eastern Africa Beat
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| THWARTING CIVIL LIBERTIES - East Africa Fails the Human Rights Test |
| Violations rampant in many states despite signing of international treaties and conventions, writes VICTOR BWIRE
The vexing subject of human rights remains a veritable challenge for most regimes in Eastern Africa. While there has been tremendous movement towards ratifying several progressive international and regional treaties that indicate willingness to jump onto the bandwagon, the practical desire to embrace a human rights culture has not matched the political rhetoric accompanying the signing of the conventions.
In Kenya, among the issues expected to give the government a headache is justice for post-election violence victims. The government, in a recent report, failed to explain why there are no prosecutions on the domestic front for perpetrators of the post 2007 election violence.
While issues of poverty alleviation and entrenchment of good governance in the Eastern Africa region have seen some improvement, the positive gains in some countries are being reversed, while in others they are threatened by bad governance, rampant violation of fundamental rights and lack of legitimate election processes.
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| Kenyans voted decisively for a new constitution that they hope will put their country firmly on track to good governance, writes PATRICK WACHIRA
THE passing of Kenya’s new constitution by more than 60 per cent of the puts the country firmly on the threshold of a new order both literally and figuratively.
The adoption of the new document is seen as the start of a new chapter, not only in governance but also in the exercise of power, what with a devolved system of governance empowers some 47 odd counties, gives citizens greater say in legislation, outlines a comprehensive Bill of Rights and ensures more equitable distribution of land.
East Africa’s biggest economy, still smarting from the effects of the 2008 post-poll violence that left 1,500 people dead and some 300,000 displaced, some to date, will get a massive shot in the arm, with the new constitution that has in place dispute resolution mechanisms that are aimed at checking a repeat of the violence that rocked the nation and shocked the world.
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