US State Department Says Corruption Still Rife in President Uhuru’s Administration

The US State Department says corruption and impunity are still rife in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration.

In its latest annual human rights report published on Friday, the State Department, however stated that Kenya has made some progress in the fight against graft.

“Despite some progress in fighting corruption during the year, the government did not implement relevant laws effectively, and officials frequently engaged in alleged corrupt practices with impunity,” states the 50-page Kenya section of the global survey.

This is the first human rights survey carried out under US president Donald Trump’s administration. The findings of the latest report about Kenya by the US are reminiscent of similar annual assessments done during former president Obama’s regime.

“Officials at all levels of government in Kenya were able to evade responsibility for crimes committed despite public statements by the president and deputy president and police and judicial reforms,” the new report finds.

“Official corruption took the form of land seizures, conflicts of interest in government procurement, favoritism, nepotism and bribery,” the State Department adds.

“Corruption is also rampant in Kenya’s private sector,” the report charges.

The State Department’s report cites 2017 Ernst and Young Fraud Survey, where 90 percent of those interviewed agreed that corruption is widespread in business.

The US agency further points to numerous violations of human rights experienced by Kenyans including politically motivated killings, forced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, torture, life-threatening prison conditions and “an inefficient judiciary.”

It also mentions that violence against women, including rape and female genital mutilation, also goes unpunished in many instances. It further criticises “criminalisation of same-sex sexual conduct.”

The State Department also said that credible sources revealed that police brutality led to the death of at least 35 Kenyans following last year’s hotly contested elections.

“There were no reports of police deaths or injuries during that period,” the US observes.

The report also highlights prison overcrowding stating: ” Kenya’s prison population is nearly twice the size of what he country’s facilities were designed to house.”

The study said the number of prisoners stood at 50,572 as of  October 2017 as opposed to the designated capacity of 26,837.

“Lengthy pre-trial detention is a contributing cause of prison overcrowding,” the report suggests.

“Although the government claims the average time spent in detention is two weeks, there were reports many detainees spent two to three years in prison before their trials were completed,” the State Department notes.

The report further expresses concerns over media freedom in the country, saying the the State was found to restrict press freedom.

“Kenya’s government occasionally engages in direct restrictions on freedom of the press,” the report says.

In addition, “journalists practiced self-censorship to avoid conflict with the government on sensitive subjects, such as the first family,” the US states.