Kenya joins the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) today amid growing protestations over police abductions and heavy-handedness in dealing with government critics.

On Monday, a leading global investigative journalism organisation revealed that President William Ruto had received the most votes as the world’s most corrupt leader during the release of its annual report on leaders “who do the most to wreak havoc around the world through organised crime and corruption”. 

Kenya was among several African countries elected into the 47-member council on October 9, a move that was criticised by civil societies owing to the country’s human rights record. UNHRC promotes and protects human rights worldwide.

On the same Monday, protesters demanded the release of Kenyans abducted by people believed to be police officers in December for criticising President Ruto. The demonstrators, who included Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah, were arrested and presented in court yesterday and released on lenient bail terms. 

The High Court has since summoned Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja over the abduction of Gideon Kibet, Bernard Kavuli, Peter Muteti, Billy Mwangi, Rony Kiplangat and Steve Kavingo. Dr Ruto, who rode on a campaign to uphold human rights, has struggled to live by his word. He has shown great intolerance for dissent.

Government critics, such as anti-tax protesters in last year’s youth-led revolt, have been arrested and others abducted. Those kidnapped have often been too shaken to recount their ordeals, with those who spoke narrating horror stories from what seem to be torture chambers run by State security agencies.

Since 2023 when the opposition staged protests, more than 100 demonstrators have been killed, with others maimed. The police’s response to peaceful protests has been clobbering participants, hurling countless tear gas canisters at them and using water cannons. 

Western envoys and rights groups have often faulted Ruto for the State’s heavy-handedness. The UN, too, has joined in on the criticism over rights abuses. In 2023, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned police brutality against peaceful protesters.

The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), a civil society group, had opposed Kenya’s election into the UNHRC, citing the government’s poor human rights record. 

“We have outlined Kenya’s poor track record in upholding national and international human rights principles and its deliberate failure to address serious violations since this administration came to power two years ago. The regime continues to use State security and other agencies that, by definition of the Rome Statute, amount to crimes against humanity,” the KHRC and other rights groups said in a statement last October.

Kenya’s entry into the UNHRC is also blemished by a recent global ranking that placed Ruto as the second most corrupt leader in the world, only fairing better than deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.

The ranking by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the world’s leading investigative journalism organisation, revealed that Ruto had received the most votes as the world’s most corrupt leader. 

“An unprecedented number of people, more than 40,000, wrote in to nominate Kenyan President William Ruto for “Person of the Year.” Fueled by a contentious Finance Bill proposal, youth unemployment, and rage at their corrupt government, young Kenyans held demonstrations for weeks this past June and July, demanding that Ruto steps down. Security forces responded with tear gas, water cannons, arrests, and bullets. Many people were killed, injured, or went missing following the protests,” the OCCRP wrote.

Ruto’s nominations were record-breaking. Kenyans on social media had questioned the ranking as Ruto had gotten the most votes, but the OCCRP clarified that its judges had voted for Assad as the “Person of the Year” award was given to the person who had done “the most to wreak havoc around the world through organized crime and corruption.” By Brian Otieno, The Standard