[{"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__307911__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"307911","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/307911","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__307911__en","pager_element":0}}},"user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"6586fc4c000830dfde489c46d0e475febfe606020fe8480d9abd231dd1b009e5"}},"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__307911__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__307911__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\/33003\u0022 rel=\u0022modal:open\u0022 class=\u0022figure__link\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cimg srcset=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/480w\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/201708africa_kenya_mathare.jpg?itok=8AqRXCTd 480w, \/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/201708africa_kenya_mathare.jpg?itok=SHM-NTwa 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\/201708africa_kenya_mathare.jpg?itok=SHM-NTwa\u0022 width=\u0022850\u0022 height=\u0022562\u0022 alt=\u0022Protesters hold a sign in the Mathare slum in Nairobi, Kenya, August 13, 2017. \u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\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\u003EProtesters hold a sign in the Mathare slum in Nairobi, Kenya, August 13, 2017.\u00a0\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__credit\u0022\u003E\u00a9 2017 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\u003EOn Sunday, in the wake of Kenya\u2019s August 8 election, allegations of violence in Nairobi\u2019s Mathare neighborhood, allegedly criminal gangs with political affiliations, exploded on social media. On the previous days, police had obstructed protests against the election process in Mathare, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world\/africa\/la-fg-kenya-election-killing-20170812-story.html\u0022\u003Ebeating many young men\u003C\/a\u003E along the way. Similar violence and police brutality was also reported in Kibra and Kawangware settlements.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tNo doubt, credible investigations into what exactly happened in Mathare are desperately needed. Information and corroboration has been slow; some officials have rushed to say that the reports were \u201cfake news\u201d and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.standardmedia.co.ke\/article\/2001251367\/police-boss-denies-presence-of-mungiki-gangs-in-mathare-dandora-and-lucky-summer-estates\u0022\u003Ethreatened to arrest\u003C\/a\u003E anyone suggesting that Mungiki, a gang \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/sites\/default\/files\/reports\/kenya0308web.pdf\u0022\u003Epreviously involved\u003C\/a\u003E in political violence after the 2007 elections, may have been involved this time. But it is going to take time for facts to emerge, as victims fear coming forward and activists remain in hiding.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tIf Kenya\u2019s police think they can treat these allegations as fake news, they are going to need to come up with a better approach.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tBecause no matter what happened on Sunday, allegations of police brutality or police indifference to gang violence in Mathare resonate.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tIn May, Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC) issued \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/0B2NZry_SioNhWEFyQWNuVVBJV2M\/view\u0022\u003Ea report documenting dozens\u003C\/a\u003E of extrajudicial killings by police over the past two years. The centre says that there has been a \u201cnormalization\u201d of those killings, as entrenched impunity continues. In the report, MSJC states: \u201cWe are tired of being told that we are liars, that we exaggerate the number of people killed every day, and that these victims were nothing but thieves.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tAgain, this week people in Mathare have been told they are not credible.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tPolice and government officials need to urgently work to establish a more conducive environment for victims to come forward and report crime and abuse. Police leadership and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ipoa.go.ke\/\u0022\u003Ethe Independent Policing Oversight Authority\u003C\/a\u003E (IPOA) should work consistently and urgently to ensure accountability for any cases of killings, beatings, harassment and extortion by police in Mathare and elsewhere. It is no surprise that dismissing or rationalizing state-orchestrated violence in poor neighborhoods has only fueled resentment against the government.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tMany Kenyans fear election-related violence. But residents in some areas often describe that their fear of police violence extends well beyond election time. What police do now in Mathare to investigate allegations of attacks, in these critical post-election weeks, should be under close scrutiny.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tAs \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/0B2NZry_SioNhWEFyQWNuVVBJV2M\/view\u0022\u003EMSJC points out\u003C\/a\u003E, \u201cit should not be illegal to be young and poor.\u201d\u00a0\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},{"command":"insert","method":"prepend","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__307911__en","data":"","settings":null}]