Concern over threats to paralegals by powerful individulas

Concern over threats to paralegals by powerful individulas

Human rights activists have expressed concern over the cases of threats targeting paralegals by government agencies and powerful individuals.

Speaking during a training for paralegals from eight counties held at the Masada hotel in Naivasha and organized by Kenya for Peace with Truth and Justice (KPTJ), the activists said since 2013 when the current government came into power the country had retrogressed in terms of human rights

According to Janet Munywoki, the executive director of Legal Resources Foundation, the major challenges facing the paralegals (human rights defenders) was threats.

“We have seen cases where the human rights defenders were abducted and others killed as they pursued justice in various parts of the country,” she said.

She noted that human rights activists are deeply concerned about rising cases targeting human rights defenders who pursue the interest of the community but end up stepping on the toes of some powerful persons.

Munywoki, at the same time, said that they had petitioned the High Court to repeal the use of a good conduct certificate in seeking employment.

According to her, the demand for the certificate was unconstitutional and limited the productivity of Kenyans in seeking employment.

“We have some ex-prisoners who have reformed but they cannot get employment due to their past records while other Kenyans cannot get the certificate in time to apply for a job,” she said.

On his part, the executive director KATIBA Institute Waikwa Wanyoike accused the government of not being supportive in issues to do with human rights.

“This government does not like human rights defenders and we have seen some of our colleagues arrested, beaten and killed for trying to fight abuse,” he said.

This was echoed by Njonjo Mue from KPTJ who termed the work done by the paralegals as crucial, mainly among poor Kenyans who could not afford hiring lawyers.

“We have around 10,000 lawyers in the country and the paralegals come in handy in cases of highlighting and exposing human rights abuses and hence the need to protect them,” he said.

Edited By Erick Kombo

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human rights activists extrajudicial killings Kenya for Peace with Truth and Justice (KPTJ)

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