Kenya shutting down rights bodies who question election’s validity
Nairobi — The Kenyan government has moved to shut down two rights organisations, one of which said on Tuesday that it was contemplating court action over last week’s disputed presidential election. The Kenyan Human Rights Commission (KHRC) board member Maina Kiai said it was "no secret" the organisation had been mulling whether to lodge a complaint at the country’s supreme court over "inconsistencies" in the election process. On Monday night, the interior ministry’s non-governmental organisation (NGO) board said it was withdrawing the KHRC’s registration over alleged irregularities, including unpaid taxes, a lack of work permits for foreign staff, and illegal bank accounts. Then on Tuesday morning, the NGO board asked police to shut down the Africa Centre for Open Governance (AfriCOG) and arrest its members, claiming it was not properly registered as an NGO and that it was illegally operating as a "charitable organisation". AfriCOG had filed several court petitions challenging the e...
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