"We were sent to kill you"

Alternate Titles

• Gang attacks in Western Kenya and the government's failed response
• Kenya

Description

"The 37-page report based on Human Rights Watch research in the two counties, documents the little-reported attacks on nine villages in Busia and Bungoma counties by criminal gangs of armed young men from March to July 2013. The attackers, using machetes, clubs, and axes, killed a total of 10 people and seriously injured more than 150"--Provided by publisher. "In March 2013, Kenya held national elections that, while less violent relative to the 2007-2008 general elections, were nevertheless marred by pockets of violence across the country. In Busia and Bungoma counties in western Kenya the vote coincided with a spate of attacks by armed gangs of young men on several villages from March to June 2013. The attacks left 10 dead and more than 150 seriously injured. Based on interviews in the two counties with 87 victims, witnesses, civil society, and government officials, this report documents the little-known attacks and how national and local police utterly failed to respond effectively. Despite an initial strong response from the national government in Nairobi and a promise to reign in the gangs, police did not carry out thorough investigations, often did not visit crime sites or collect critical evidence, and ignored the apparent political dimension of the attacks. Human Rights Watch calls on the Kenyan government to conduct a thorough, effective investigation with a view to holding responsible individuals who carried out the attacks as well as those who supported them. Police should investigate allegations that several business owners and politicians within and outside the two counties recruited gangs to carry out the attacks. The Kenyan government should address the ongoing problem of gang violence and bolster the investigative capacity of police as part of the larger police reform agenda"--Provided by publisher.

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