Remedies for Journalists and Election Monitors Risks – NCHRD-K

National Coalition of Human Rights Defender – Kenya (NCHRD-K) on Friday 24 led by its Executive Director Kamau Ngugi, launched the coalition’s elections findings regarding the risks that faces election monitors and journalists – during election period – at the Intercontinental Hotel.

The launch that featured journalists, Human Rights Defenders, state institutions like IPOA and KNCHR, and various representatives from across the East African region – Uganda and South Sudan, put forth findings that were collected during the election period. The findings are meant to curb the risks that faces election monitors and journalist during the risky period of elections, since this is the time when those who speak for the voiceless get targeted by selfish politicians who want to bury the truth about the outcome of the election.

Speaking at the event, Executive Director Kamau Ngugi said “Every election period is the most risky period for Human Rights defenders (HRDs) and journalists, and with 52 cases of threats reported during this electioneering period, it high time the state and civil society protect the rights of human rights defenders and those of journalists” with a lot of sympathy and plea.

The risks for election monitors and journalists is not only a Kenyan problem, but a problem for the East Africa region as attested by representatives from Uganda and South Sudan. In the just concluded elections, journalists and human rights defender had limited access to elections on goings, even in the most critical times when Kenyan citizens deserved to know the truth about the election outcomes. Something that should not have happened.

With those making a step to pursue the truth being intimidated, threatened and some even being killed.

According to NCHRD-K report, one hundred and two (102) election monitors were deployed across the country to monitor, document and report on the working environment for election monitors, journalists and HRDs; and human rights violations against the same in order to allow for timely intervention. That can show you how deep the coalition looked in to this matter of finding safety and the far it went with the experiment.

It is through this great step of assessment that NCHRD-K, through its three programmes – Protection, Advocacy and Capacity Building – that it was able to come up with findings that will help the coalition (and other relevant parties) perform its mandate for protecting human rights defenders. In order to strengthen their capacity to work effectively and without fear.

Also speaking at the event was a senior human rights defender Mr. Henry Maina, who raised issues of concern that he felt deeply should be put into consideration when it comes to protecting human rights defenders, and ensuring safety for journalists as they carry out their work. He said “There should be proper measures put in place to ensure prevention, protection and prosecution of human rights defenders and journalist injustices”. Some of the issues he raised are:

• Condemnation of intimidations should be done equally without biasness.
• Mapping of risky hotspots for human rights defender and journalists – and not only for national presidential elections but also for other elections as well.
• Regular updates of journalists and human rights defender attacks.
• Confidentiality of journalists and human rights defenders safety measures.
• Recognition of the role Human Rights Defenders before, during and after the election period.
• Training of human rights defender with the journalists on anonymity.

Adding to the event, Mr. Musau the person in charge of IPOA, asked the citizen to be patient with the institution as they seek justice. Seeing justice is a process that takes a lot of time to investigate and to bring the right people on board. “The problem is that when something unjust has been done by the police, the victims’ wants justice there and then, which sometimes is very difficult” Mr Musau said. He also called upon the civil society to join hands with IPOA so as to help the institution resolve the pending cases and any other time when they are called upon.

Another key issue that Mr Musau raised was that there should be an establishment of community based journalism that has its root deeply embedded on the community level. So as to avoid half-baked news stories that has dependable background.

The NCHRD-K closed the event by calling upon all the relevant institutions to stand firm their ground and pave way for justice to human rights defenders and journalists.

You can download the full NCHRD-K report that contains the exact dates and locations for the individuals that were harassed, intimidated and threatened from here (you can post the report here since we have it in soft copy)