The Chairperson of the Working Group on Death Penalty and Extra-Judicial Killings in Africa (the Chairperson) is concerned about reports of the killing of innocent civilians in grenade attacks at various locations in Nairobi and Mombasa, including at a place of worship. The Chairperson is similarly concerned about the “drive-by” killing of Sheikh Abubakar Shariff in Mombasa earlier this month, and the killing of Ibrahim “Rogo” Omar and Aboud Rogo Mohammed in October 2013 and August 2012, respectively.
The Chairperson is deeply concerned by this violation of the right to life. The right to life is one of the most fundamental rights and underpins all other human rights.
Accordingly, the Chairperson urges the Government of Kenya to conduct independent, exhaustive and effective investigations into these killings, and to apprehend, prosecute and punish all the perpetrators of these heinous crimes in accordance with the law, as part of Kenya’s obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other regional and international human rights instruments, in particular the right to life guaranteed under these conventions.
Banjul, The Gambia, 10 April 2014.
