State rights watchdog rooted in draft law

The Parliamentary Select Committee on the Constitution has rescinded its decision to expunge the State human rights watchdog from the harmonised draft constitution.

And the decision was welcomed by officials of the Kenya National Human Rights Commission, who described it as timely.

Mrs Florence Simbiri-Jaoko, the commission’s chair, said that all clauses concerning the rights body had been reinstated by the MPs.

The claim was also confirmed by Justice assistant minister William Cheptumo. “I am happy that we are now back in the constitution,” Mrs Jaoko said in Nairobi on Thursday.

Last week, the commission voiced its concern that its exclusion from the harmonised draft would undermine its ability to effectively protect and promote human rights.

The human rights watchdog said that what the committee had done went against local and international standards.

KNCHR was established under an Act of Parliament and commissioners have been complaining that being at the mercy of the House makes them ineffective.

They also questioned the rationale surrounding the removal of economic and social rights from the Bill of Rights and the exclusion of the protection of the civil society. They demanded that the MPs, who ended their retreat in Naivasha on Thursday, revoke the decision.

Praised move

Speaking while launching their second strategic plan, Mrs Jaoko said should it be adopted, Kenya would be at par with other African countries which had entrenched their respective human rights bodies in the constitution. “Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi have done it,” she said.

The decision was also welcomed by two foreign envoys — Ms Elizabeth Jacobsen of Norway and her Dutch counterpart Laetisia Van Den Assum.

But even as they praised the move, Mrs Jacobsen said the human rights situation in the country was still wanting. “We are still witnessing blatant violation of human rights, especially by the security forces,” she said.