Kenya on the spot at UN

• Team unhappy with response to reports of abuse by the police

Kenya was put on the spot during a United Nations meeting over its response to complaints of police abuse during the post-election violence.

The UN Committee Against Torture said it was unhappy with the way Kenya has handled allegations that police committed rape during the chaos.

Committee expert Wang Xuexian pressed a Kenyan delegation to the meeting, led by Justice minister Martha Karua, to explain what was being done after the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights claimed that police had carried out some 500 extra-judicial executions.

Gang rapes

Officials of the Geneva-based committee also brought up reports of gang rapes by police officers.

Action must be taken to counter impressions that there is a high level of impunity for acts of torture, committee experts added.

A joint statement issued in Geneva on Thursday by five Kenyan NGOs accused the Government of “failing to take the necessary steps to stamp out torture in our country”.

On her part, Ms Karua told the committee that an independent civilian police oversight board had been established. She said public officials had been charged, prosecuted and sentenced in criminal courts for acts constituting torture.

Victims of torture who filed claims in civil courts had been paid compensation by the Government, she added. She said the police commissioner had set up a task force to investigate sex crimes alleged to have been committed by security forces.

Task force

The task force, which comprises representatives of Federation of Women Lawyers (Fida) and women police officers, was set up last month.

But on Thursday, Fida withdrew from the team. Although previously enthusiastic about the collaboration, Fida’s executive director Patricia Nyaundi said her organisation was now disappointed with how the whole process was being handled.

Fida said a number of women who were sexually assaulted during the poll chaos have identified their attackers as police officers, confirming findings in the Waki report.

“Of the 12 women who were gang-raped, five said their attackers wore police uniforms,” said Mrs Diana Wambui of Fida.

Additional reporting by Kibiwott Koross