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Shackling of mentally ill people is unacceptable and must be stopped

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A man chained at Coptic church in Kisumu is addressed by Coptic church founder Father John Pesa. Some people detained at the facility have accused the church of detaining and chaining them against their will. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

A 2020 Human Rights Watch Report (HRW) titled 'Living in chains, shackling of people with psychosocial disabilities worldwide' might have escaped the notice of many people.

Yet, recent reports of people with mental health conditions/psychosocial disabilities being detained in chains in a church in Western Kenya under inhumane conditions should prick the conscience of our nation. As communities, we must rise to the occasion and ask, why must things be this way?

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