By Rhoda Mutuku
As the world celebrates international human rights day today December 10, 2017, a Mombasa based human rights lobby Haki Africa, has appealed to the government to initiate national dialogue from the county levels to help Kenyans recover and heal the wounds inflicted by ugly events that came with prolonged electioneering period.
Haki Africa executive director Hussein Khalid said in a statement that in the last few months Kenya has seen its citizens polarized and divided along political lines adding it’s only through dialogue involving all Kenyans that recovery can be realized.
“…last few months have seen the people polarized and divided along political lines. Such a situation does not portend well for human rights and risks further deterioration of security and development,” Khalid stated “It is for this reason that on this international human rights day, Haki Africa calls for national dialogue on reconciliation and human rights so that we can unite Kenyans and augment their nationhood.”
In an interview with The Plu on the sidelines of this year’s international human rights day celebration event at Mazera town, Khalid reckoned, with clear divisions currently being witnessed in the country, it is imperative for government to initiate national dialogue from the county levels so as to realize harmonious healing.
While observing that calls for national dialogue to unlock the current political standoff have repeatedly been made he said most advocators of such dialogue have been silent on what exactly should be done when it comes such engagements.
“As Haki Africa we recommend that since a lot of human rights violations including among others killings and robberies have occurred, the government should initiate a dialogue at the counties and involve every Kenyan by getting their views, and later have representatives from all counties at national level to collate the views. The dialogue we are talking about should not be left for President Uhuru and Raila alone at the national level because Kenya has 45 million people,” he said noting further “As Haki Africa, our position is very clear that the court already gave its verdict and people need to move forward but in harmony.”
To unite the country and promote human rights for all, he noted that Kenya must remain focused on “uplifting the livelihoods of our people and their right to development. Only dialogue can help the nation achieve its aspirations and ensure the promotion and protection of the rights of all Kenyans.”
The theme for this year’s human rights day is “Stand up for Human Rights”.
