By Cyrus Ombati
The US Senate wants the American government to stop funding the Kenyan military and police over alleged abuse of human rights in Mt Elgon and North Eastern province.
In its latest report in the US Senate Foreign Appropriation Bill 2013, the Senate recommended that the funding be stopped until thorough and credible investigations on the violations are conducted and the units involved identified.
“The Committee directs the Secretary of State to take steps to ensure that no United States training, equipment, or other assistance is provided to any Kenyan military or police personnel who have been credibly alleged to have violated human rights at: Mount Elgon and North Eastern Kenya,” says part of the report.
The report states the abuses in Mt Elgon were committed in March 2008 while those in Garissa, Wajir and Mandera in North Eastern Kenya were between November 2011 and January 2012; and in the Dadaab refugee camps in North Eastern Kenya in December 2011.
The report dated May 24 orders the Secretary Hilary Clinton to submit a report to the Committee on steps taken by the Government of Kenya to conduct thorough, credible investigations of such violations and the identification of military units responsible.
The Committee passed the Bill making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013.
This is the second time that the Senate is making such recommendations on the military.
It followed a report by Human Rights Watch which said Government troops joined the guerrilla militia in Mt Elgon in "committing murder, torture and rape of innocent victims."
The Foreign Military Financing (FMF) refers to congressionally appropriated grants given to foreign governments to finance the purchase of American-made weapons, services and training.
Since 1950, the US government has provided over $91 billion in FMF to militaries around the world.
HWR official Neela Ghoshal said the steps taken by the Senate were good.
“This is a good step forward for accountability,” said Ghoshal.
It is not clear what effects the steps taken by the Senate may have on the local security agencies.
In March 13, 2012, HRW wrote to Kenya’s Defense Minister Yusuf Haji seeking answers over violations meted on innocent people in Mt Elgon and latest ones in Northern Kenya in the ongoing Operation Linda Nchi in Somalia.
The letter signed by Leslie Lefkow, HRW’s Deputy Director of Africa Division also states that it is in the process of documenting abuses by both the military and Al Shabaab members and their sympathizers both at the Northern part of Kenya and inside Somalia.
Earlier this year, the department of defense formed a board of inquiry into abuses reported in Garisa, Wajir and Mandera but little has been heard of its outcome, if any.
