A vehicle torched in Homa Bay town during Linda Mwananchi rally . [James Omoro, Standard]
Vocal Africa has urged the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to take formal notice of what it describes as Kenya’s rapidly deteriorating political, security and human rights situation ahead of the 2027 General Election.
In a letter to the ICC, the organisation called for Kenya to be placed under close observation, warning that the country’s current trajectory could create conditions for widespread human rights violations and international crimes.
“We respectfully call upon the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to take formal notice of the rapidly deteriorating political, security and human rights situation in Kenya and place the country under close observation,” the organisation said.
Vocal Africa said Kenya’s experience during the 2007-2008 post-election violence demonstrated how political intolerance, ethnic mobilisation, inflammatory rhetoric, organised gangs and institutional failures could quickly escalate into mass violence.
“The warning signs now emerging must not be ignored until lives have been lost,” it said.
The organisation raised concern over what it termed the “normalisation of political goonism”, alleging that organised gangs have increasingly been deployed during protests, political meetings and other public gatherings.
It cited recent incidents in Homa Bay, Mombasa, Nairobi, Kisumu, Kisii, Nyeri, Nyandarua, Nakuru and Kajiado counties, where it alleged that gangs had targeted politicians, journalists, human rights defenders, protesters and political opponents.