Petition given on 16 April 2004 by The Kenya Human Rights Network to Hon. Kiraitu Murungi, Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, following a March for Justice organised by the same network. Aware of the fact that enhancing a participatory and accountable government which upholds the rule of law, social justice and respect for human rights is the foundation of every democratic state Recognizing that the NARC government came to power with pledges to live by social democratic values and redress past human rights violations and economic crimes
Concerned that this regime has failed to honour its promises and instead engaged in perpetrating impunity as manifested in incidences of; police brutality, mob violence, escalating insecurity, denial of certificates of good conduct to matatu drivers and conductors, oppression and exploitation of workers, mindless violence and abuse directed at women, children, small scale/informal traders, slum dwellers and squatters; failure to promote the rights of refugees in Kenya; fight against terrorism with no concerns for human rights values; and the failure to provide a forum for Kenyans to know the truth about past human rights violations Do hereby make these demands. That the government must ensure that: The right to life and security of a person is protected by enhancing accountability, transparency, professionalism, radical reforms and human rights compliance among the members of police service in the course of duty. The citizens and the security of apparatus must desist from mob violence and brutality to innocent citizens and instead uphold the rule of law. The Government must come up with a housing and land policy to address the plight of slum dwellers among other landless people. There is need for an unconditional resettlement plan for the internally displaced persons in Kenya. The Government must repossess all irregularly and illegally allocated public land and resettle the landless people in the country. The Government must come up with legislation providing for the protection and promotion of refugees? rights. The pervasive culture of treating refugees as second rate human beings must end. The government should amend the Local Government Act (CAP 365) to recognize and ensure safeguards for small scale and informal traders in Kenya. We demand the government stop from subjecting conductors and drivers of the public service vehicles to double punishment and instead formulate a transport policy and provide certificates of good conduct to them without conditions. The government must come up with a legal framework to ensure better terms and conditions of service. There is need to address increasing incidences of violence, rape, oppression, abuse and discrimination of women through the enactment of a Sexual Offences Bill and institutionalize the operations of the Gender Commission. There is need to put an end to the increasing incidences of sexual violence, exploitation, cruelty and other injustices meted against children by enacting the Sexual Offences Bill and coming up with legislations and policies which enforce justice to children. Institutional and legal mechanisms should be put in place to provide Kenyans with a framework to know the truth and obtain justice over the crimes of the past human rights violations and economic crimes. We hereby demand for the establishment of a Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) according to the recommendations of the Task Force on TJRC. Moreover, there is need to ensure that the key witnesses in the Goldenberg Commission of Inquiry such as Former president Daniel arap Moi, Hon. Nicholas Biwott, George Saitoti, Kamlesh Pattni and others do testify. The Government must prosecute the culprits mentioned adversely in land related crimes. The war on terrorism must be citizen friendly by ensuring that draconian Suppression of Terrorism Bill is redrafted to be human rights compliant. As it is, the Bill thr
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