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| Image: Leonard Otieno |
Leonard Otieno
is a Human Rights Defender in Kenya. A country that has seen many efforts for
reforms in the human rights scenario on the one hand, while crusading against
rampant corruption and bureaucracy on the other, the Kenyan social landscape
has benefitted from Leonard’s work as a Human Rights Defender.
What is the
Human Rights Scene in Kenya?
A proactive
volunteering scene during all of the 1990s and early 2000s witnessed the entry of
changes by many a Kenyan. This was a period of reforms, but these attempts at
reforms have lately been betrayed by the fact men and women who fought for reforms
before began to get absorbed and silenced by mesmerizing elective and bureaucratic
political officers. In the process, they wound up defeating the effects of the
former struggle for a free society that they were also a part of. Another issue
is that there were pseudo-reform trends in realms such as political
realignments which were fronted by seasoned politicians and political activists.
This is overshadowing genuine reform concerns, thereby forcing human rights
crusaders to remotely identify opportunistic political sides, lest they be over-swept
by social relevance.
2. Can you tell
us your story as a Human Rights Defender on field in Kenya?
I am the pioneer founder of the Bunge La Mwananchi, a now nationally
spread social movement that works as a voice for the voiceless, with my
installation as its pioneer National Speaker in 2004. Since 2003, I have had a
great deal of interest in grassroots human rights abuses in Siaya especially as
violated by American Dominion Farms Limited at the Yala Swamp wetlands which
include:
·
Removal of riparian communities from native sources of
livelihood including; wetlands fishing, grazing fields, farmlands, water sources;
·
The illicit eviction of Yala Swamp Farmers from
farmlands by crude ways including artificial flooding crop field and forcible
evictions by the provincial administration and armed police force and private
security;
·
Grabbing and privatizing use of public utilities like
Roads
·
Erecting and manning of illicit security barriers and
fences;
·
Environmental Aerial and ground chemical pollution;
·
Endless impounding of farmers livestock
·
Endless intimidating illicit arrest and malicious
judicial prosecution of farmers and fishermen.
On a personal
level, while in solidarity with communities in need, I have always been
subjected to endless intimidating threats of arrest; illicit arrests and
malicious judicial prosecutions; court warrants of arrest; police detentions
without trial; court detentions; real armed attack from unknown thugs and as
well from colleagues in elected leadership offices and even the withholding of
my statutory allowances by leadership of the defunct County Council of Siaya.
3. What have
your major challenges been?
I was often challenged in meeting advocate costs in court cases, in dealing
with communities that are unaware of their rights, in operating in communities
whose ignorance make them to even trust in the propaganda information sources of
the same figures who are behind their injustices. I have also found myself with
physical immobility and financial constrains thus difficulty in faster and
timely responses in ascertaining and profiling of rights violation in the
expansive Yala Wetlands environments. Financial constrains also impeding usual
response to personal concerns notably seeking refuge in safe undisclosed
temporary shelters in keeping me from harm including life- threatening ones
whenever I am aware of its coming. Besides this, sometimes, I have had to deal with
colleague leaders who are ignorant of their call in so far as their duty as
agents of the human rights defender is concerned.
4. Has the government or the security sector given you
any difficulties or challenges in your path as a Human Rights Defender? Can you
tell us about it?
Yes. I have
faced endless police arrest and intimidation; lengthy malicious judicial
intimidation and prosecution, Public humiliation from senior colleagues in
leadership; withholding of my statutory allowances and pay, physical bodily
attacks by colleagues in officially convened meetings of the defunct County
Council of Siaya; the illicit outlawing of my official public meetings with the
communities by the former Siaya District Provincial Administrators and area
police bosses and backstabbing at the hands of the former Siaya Provincial
Administrators and are senior leaders against my leadership.
5. What do you
see as a solution to the issue, and how do you see peace unfolding in the
region?
I believe that
synergy in building on advocacy and awareness creation platforms in keeping
with the Constitutional and Statutory spirit and letter in matters of rights
provision is the surest way.