The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied reports that it denied queries from representatives of the United Nations seeking answers over alleged human rights abuses.
In a formal response to an article done by the Daily Nation, the ministry revealed that it had received a joint communication from multiple UN Special Procedures Mandate Holders addressing a series of concerns regarding allegations of abduction, enforced disappearances, and detention in connection with the management of protests in Kenya.
In the article, Kenya was said to be at risk of sanctions from the UN, such as aid cuts, over snubbing enquiries by UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) Mary Lawlor.
It all began after Lawlor went public with her frustrations on X, revealing that she had written to the government twice, on October 1, 2024, and August 5, 2025, seeking answers on various human rights violations by the Kenyan government.
“I wrote to the government of Kenya about the arrest, detention, deportation and prosecution of human rights defenders as part of a wider crackdown on peaceful protests. I regret not having received a response,” Ms Lawlor says on her X handle.
The government was required to respond to each of the two letters within 60 days.
However, in the ministry’s response, it maintained that it had consistently extended a standing invitation to all UN Special Mandate Holders to Kenya and had maintained active cooperation with them in accordance with national priorities and its international human rights obligations.
It cited various initiatives, such as the fourth Cycle Report to the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in June 2025, where Kenya unequivocally condemned extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances and informed on steps being taken to strengthen accountability for such crimes within law enforcement agencies.
Additionally, the government brought up measures taken to enhance police training in crowd management during demonstrations, with an emphasis on accountability, human rights compliance, and de-escalation protocols in the response.
Another initiative that the government noted was ongoing coordination with the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances to facilitate a substantive and meaningful country visit, as well as communication with the Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions regarding suitable timing for official visits, mindful of institutional calendars and the need for thorough preparation.
The ministry also referenced recent initiatives, such as the April 2024 OHCHR workshop in Nairobi, which they noted enhanced technical comprehension of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
It also mentioned it had endorsed the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions to facilitate the operationalisation of reforms, which include capacity development under the Coroner's Service Act.
Even as the government maintained it had done its bit to reaffirm its commitment to human rights, Kenya is not out of the woods yet. This is because if confirmed, as per the Special Rapporteur, the allegations would constitute prima facie violations of fundamental human rights.
