Kenya

On September 1, Kenya’s Supreme Court nullified the August 8, 2017, elections in which the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had declared President Uhuru Kenyatta the winner with over 54 percent of votes. In compliance with the court orders, the IEBC has now scheduled fresh elections for October 17. The elections were marred by serious human rights violations by Kenyan security forces, who used excessive force to break up protests and carry out house-to-house operations particularly in opposition strongholds in Nairobi and western Kenya. At least 12 people were unlawfully killed by police in western counties of Kisumu and Siaya alone during the violence. Over the past five years, Kenyan authorities have consistently failed to adequately investigate a range of abuses across the country and undermine basic rights to free expression and association. Human rights activists and journalists face numerous obstacles and harassment.