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35th Universal Periodic Review: UK statement on Kenya

The UK delivers statement on Kenya at the 35th Session of Universal Periodic Review (UPR), sharing recommendations to improve their human rights record.

• From: UK Mission to the WTO, UN and other international organisations (Geneva)
• Published: 23 January 2020

This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government

The Universal Periodic Review takes place in Geneva.

The United Kingdom recognises Kenya’s human rights progress, particularly in education.

We commend Kenya’s development of a more supportive environment for police reforms, reinforced by President Kenyatta’s strategy for a unified National Police Service. But, we remain concerned by limited progress made to strengthen mechanisms to hold individual officers accountable for abuse of power.

We recommend that Kenya:

1. Empower and resource the Independent Police Oversight Authority, Internal Affairs Unit, and Director of Public Prosecutions to investigate fully and prosecute cases of police abuse;

2. Intensify efforts to secure redress for survivors of sexual violence following the 2007 and 2017 Presidential elections, and establish mechanisms to ensure such crimes are never repeated;

3. Ratify and implement the Protocol of 2014 to the ILO Forced Labour Convention 1930, (P029).

Published 23 January 2020