Rights group says western region murders were political

By James Mbaka

Kenya: An international human rights group has claimed that last year’s gang attacks in Busia and Bungoma counties were politically motivated.

The killings claimed at least 10 people and over 150 others were maimed. The group further accuses the police of bungling the investigations.

Between March and July last year, armed gangs caught security agents unawares and descended on several villages in the two counties and left a trail of killings that puzzled villagers.

In a report released Thursday, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said police should reopen investigations into the attacks and prosecute those responsible for the killings

The report dubbed “We were sent to kill you: Gang attacks in western Kenya and the Government’s failed response”, HRW faults authorities for failing to investigate adequately the spate of the organised attacks.

The 33-page report documents the little-reported attacks on nine villages of the two counties. The attackers, using machetes, clubs, and axes, attacked the villages in the most bizarre massacres that left locals perplexed.

After the attacks, police reported that they were pursuing some politicians whom they accused of supporting the killings.  But no politician was arraigned in court and charged in connection with the attacks, which HRW says were politically facilitated.

The report notes that in some cases, attackers told victims they had “voted badly,” suggesting a political motivation although victims said they had supported various parties in the election.

Some of the people interviewed alleged that local business owners and political figures had provided support to the gangs who carried out the attacks.

Police failed

“Police utterly failed to effectively investigate the violence in Busia and Bungoma counties,” said Leslie Lefkow, HRW Africa deputy director.

“The police didn’t collect critical evidence, and completely ignored information that the gangs carried out these crimes during and after the 2013 elections with support from political figures,” he added.

The report recommends that the Government expedites reforms in the police service, including bolstering its investigative capacity.

“The Government should provide the police service with adequate resources to deal with gang activity,”   says the report.