This archive report was first published on 15 July 2019.
Published on July 15, 2019, the recent UN counter-terrorism conference in Kenya came at a crucial time, with the country grappling with the challenges of terrorism while also facing allegations of human rights abuses.
Kenya has been caught up in the global terrorism menace, and it has every right to act to counter and prevent terror attacks. However, the question remains: at what cost to citizens?
Claims of extrajudicial killings and disappearances in areas with large Muslim or Arab populations, such as North Eastern and the Coast, have raised concerns about the country's approach to fighting terrorism.
The chilling summary killings of Sheikhs Aboud Rogo and 'Makaburi', two vocal Imams in the coastal streets, have also sparked debate about how terrorism suspects or sympathisers are dealt with.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently cited State violence and abuse of power as the 'final tipping points that lead to terrorism' in his remarks at the UN conference in Nairobi.
Mr Guterres emphasized that while extremism cannot be justified, the world must acknowledge that it does not rise in a vacuum. He cited human rights violations and bad governance as some reasons that trigger radicalisation.
Kenya needs to hold a mirror to itself and ask whether it has acted ultra vires and needed to soften its stance while pursuing anti-terrorism goals.
The amended Prevention of Terrorism Act 2019, which gives extra powers to the Counter-Terrorism Centre, has been criticized by civil society groups as stifling and potentially leading to human rights abuses.
Unnecessary extra measures and laws will only expand the window of human rights abuses that we must keep firmly shut to protect those who are wrongly accused.
