[{"command":"settings","settings":{"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","suppressDeprecationErrors":true,"ajaxPageState":{"libraries":"core\/picturefill,entity_embed\/caption,views\/views.ajax,views\/views.module","theme":"hrw_design","theme_token":null},"ajaxTrustedUrl":[],"views":{"ajax_path":"\/views\/ajax","ajaxViews":{"views_dom_id:blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__307142__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"307142","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/307142","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__307142__en","pager_element":0}}},"user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"0ae5601d8790ff50fca3cf23b9ac9170285f2f75823ebdc8d9cc054bc03a679b"}},"merge":true},{"command":"add_css","data":"\u003Clink rel=\u0022stylesheet\u0022 media=\u0022all\u0022 href=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/css\/css_reI-6YIYy-k9pvxm-gaCRrn5cSrTZRtyAMrp4YXDUJw.css\u0022 \/\u003E\n"},{"command":"add_js","selector":"body","data":[{"src":"\/sites\/default\/files\/js\/js_VkK39bvB4H6LLVemwPFz8QWcUMTFqZ3FFo_LBVv_4vs.js"}]},{"command":"insert","method":"replaceWith","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__307142__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__307142__en\u0022\u003E\n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022blog-block__content__description rich-text pt-6 mb:pt-10 mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed\u0022 data-type=\u0022image\u0022\u003E\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed align-center embedded-entity embedded-entity-type-media embedded-entity-bundle-image embedded-entity-viewmode-embeddable embed--center\u0022\u003E\n \n\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \n \n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\u0022figure figure--expand text-center\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__media relative inline-block mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ca href=\u0022\/modal\/32814\u0022 rel=\u0022modal:open\u0022 class=\u0022figure__link\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cimg srcset=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/480w\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/201707africa_kenya_bloglamu.jpg?itok=QQK6ZRR3 480w, \/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/201707africa_kenya_bloglamu.jpg?itok=DXKaShCb 850w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(max-width: 524px) 100px, 500px\u0022 data-responsive-image-style=\u0022embedded_images\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/201707africa_kenya_bloglamu.jpg?itok=DXKaShCb\u0022 width=\u0022850\u0022 height=\u0022567\u0022 alt=\u0022Women look on as residents talk to police officers after an attack in Panda Nguo, Lamu County on the northern coast of Kenya July 11, 2014. \u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 typeof=\u0022foaf:Image\u0022 \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__expand absolute block bottom-0 right-0 w-8 h-8 bg-white text-gray-700\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022sr-only\u0022\u003EClick to expand Image\u003C\/span\u003E\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022icon fill-current w-full inline-block\u0022\u003E\n \u003Csvg viewbox=\u00220 0 20 20\u0022 fill=\u0022currentColor\u0022 role=\u0022img\u0022 focusable=\u0022false\u0022 aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\u003E\u003Cuse xlink:href=\u0022\/themes\/custom\/hrw_design\/dist\/app-drupal\/assets\/spritemap.svg?cacheBuster=#sprite-expand\u0022\u003E\u003C\/use\u003E\u003C\/svg\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/a\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022figure__info text-left font-serif text-xs md:text-sm lg:text-base mx-auto text-gray-700 mt-1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__caption\u0022\u003EWomen look on as residents talk to police officers after an attack in Panda Nguo, Lamu County on the northern coast of Kenya July 11, 2014.\u00a0\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__credit\u0022\u003E\u00a9 2014 Reuters\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EEarlier this month, three counties in eastern Kenya were placed under a 90-day curfew following a series of violent attacks allegedly carried out by the armed Islamist group Al Shabab. The July 8 order means that residents of \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nation.co.ke\/news\/Curfew-takes-effect-in-Lamu-and-Tana-River\/1056-4008138-8gd8ux\/index.html\u0022\u003EGarissa, Tana River and Lamu counties\u003C\/a\u003E are required to observe a dusk to dawn curfew (12 hours) until October 9 \u2013 which includes election day, August 8.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tQuestions are already being raised about the legality of the curfew. Kenya\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022file:\/\/\/C:\/Users\/User.NYCLAPTOP315\/Downloads\/PublicOrderAct26of1950.pdf\u0022\u003EPublic Order Act\u003C\/a\u003E only permits a curfew that restricts movement to less than 10 hours of daylight for a maximum of 10 days, but for now, the extended curfew remains in place.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tAlthough Al Shabab has allegedly been active in the Boni Forest area of Lamu county for several years, the severity and frequency of attacks has increased in recent weeks. In June, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.standardmedia.co.ke\/article\/2001246140\/al-shabaab-attack-pandanguo-police-post-in-lamu\u0022\u003Efour pupils and four policemen died in an IED attack\u003C\/a\u003E. On July 5, hundreds of Al Shabab \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nation.co.ke\/video\/1951480-4004116-ahg5x9\/index.html\u0022\u003Efighters seized a police post in Pandanguo\u003C\/a\u003E, killing two police officers and damaging a communications tower and other property. On July 7, attackers \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nation.co.ke\/counties\/lamu\/Nine-killed-in-Shabaab-attack\/3444912-4006002-9fhuyez\/index.html\u0022\u003Eslit the throats of nine men in Jima Village\u003C\/a\u003E, also in Lamu. On July 13, Permanent Secretary for Public Works Mariam El-\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.the-star.co.ke\/news\/2017\/07\/14\/al-shabaab-shot-ps-el-maawy-in-chest-fractured-her-hand-police-report_c1596860\u0022\u003EMaawy was one of 6 people kidnapped by Al Shabab\u003C\/a\u003E. At least three police officers were killed in the same attack, although a final death toll has not been made public. Kenya Defence Forces eventually freed Maawy, who was flown to Nairobi for treatment for a shoulder gunshot wound and other injuries.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tCivil society leaders in the Coast region are concerned the curfew will have serious implications for participation in the election. Yusuf Mwatsefu, Executive Director at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.huria.ngo\/\u0022\u003EHuman Rights Agenda (HURIA)\u003C\/a\u003E said in an interview that the government is already in the process of relocating people from the Boni Forest area. These people risk not being able to vote, without a specific government effort to accommodate them. Such a plan would require allowing the displaced people to vote in specially \u2013 and newly \u2013 gazetted polling stations or establishing mobile polling stations. So far, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission remains adamant it will not provide mobile polling stations as the specific polling locations are determined by law.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tAfter Maawy\u2019s kidnapping, Coast Regional Police Coordinator Nelson Marwa \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nation.co.ke\/counties\/lamu\/-Lamu-politicians-funding-Shabaab\/3444912-4017280-ay1d1dz\/index.html\u0022\u003Ealleged in the media that Lamu politicians were funding al-Shabaab\u003C\/a\u003E and subsequent attacks in the county in order to disrupt voting. He argued that only areas where voters supported the ruling Jubilee Coalition in 2013 were attacked, suggesting that the attacks were part of a ploy to decrease voter turnout in those regions. Media reports indicate that in the same statement, Marwa allegedly issued an unlawful \u201cshoot-to-kill\u201d order for \u201cany terrorists found in the county.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tIn 2014, residents of Lamu endured a similar curfew for more than a year in response to Al Shabab\u2019s deadly \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-africa-27862510\u0022\u003EMpeketoni attacks\u003C\/a\u003E in which more than 60 people died. The curfew was initially supposed to last one month, but was extended by five months. During the curfew period, human rights groups including Human Rights Watch \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2015\/06\/15\/kenya-botched-response-deadly-attacks\u0022\u003Edocumented abuses against civilians\u003C\/a\u003E by members of the armed forces and the police.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tThe Law Society of Kenya challenged the extension and the high court eventually ruled the extension unlawful.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tWhile civil society groups active along the coast are generally in favor of enhanced security measures to protect people from Al-Shabab, they urge the government to avoid repeating human rights abuses by security forces perpetrated in 2014 and ensure that all voters have access to polling stations on August 8.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n","settings":null}]