Opinion: Attempts to turn back clock on freedom, rights should be resisted

Activist Maina Kiai Photo:Courtesy

Yet again, another high-ranking Kenyan was made to wait at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as he travelled after his travelling papers were questioned by Immigration Department officials.

That Maina Kiai, until recently United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, was detained in this day and era is quite repugnant.

No reason was offered for his two-hour ordeal, but it would be safe to assume that it was connected to the vicious clampdown on NGOs critical of the Jubilee-led administration.

Mr Kiai is the Executive Director of InformAction, an NGO and sits on the board of Kenya Human Rights Commission, which was at the centre of news last week after the National NGO Cordination Board attempted to deregister it.
 

AfriCOG, another NGO, and KHRC were among a dozen others reportedly planning to lodge a petition disputing the declaration of President Uhuru Kenyatta as winner of the August 8 General Election.

A week ago, IEBC commissioner Roselyne Akombe suffered the ignominy of being detained as she travelled to New York. There are unconfirmed reports that it took the intervention of US ambassador Robert Godec for her to proceed on her journey.

An explanation that she needed clearance from higher authorities were unconvincing.
The 2010 Constitution is sprinkled with articles that promote and protect civil liberties under the Bill of Rights. Crude attempts as those employed by State agents to roll back this should invite moral indignation from right-thinking Kenyans.

We cannot sit back as individual rights are trampled on by whimsical State officials out to make a point. There obviously is someone out there attempting to rein in on independent voices jostling to be heard above the political din.

Those keen to turn back the clock ought to realise that Kenya has taken huge strides on the path of freedom. It took blood and sweat to fight intolerance and suppression and nothing will subdue the voices keen to expand that space further.

And in any case, there is a procedure of handling those at fault with the State. Detaining them at an airport, perhaps in a bid to inconvenience and embarrass them, is not one of them.