Kenya Human Rights Commission Says Youths were Trained to Instigate Election Violence

The Kenyan Human Rights Commission (KHRC) on Tuesday submitted evidence showing that thousands of youths were well trained and armed prior to the disputed December 27 general elections to instigate the post-election violence witnessed in the country in January and February that claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people and displaced over 300,000 people.

KHRC executive director Muthoni Wanyeki told the commission set up to investigate the violence that the youths were administered illegal oaths and incited to attack individuals from other communities.

The youths were financed by powerful people in government, she told the commission led by appellate judge Philip Waki.

She said hate speech and incitement sent via Short Message Service (SMS) by mobile phones helped fuel the violence that targeted specific ethnic communities.

She blamed the government for failing to put proper legislation to deal with hate speech that resulted in ethnic-based political mobilization.

Source African Press Agency

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