,,iii ,calendar ,no4 #db #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #ij ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #bb1 #bjac ,mr4 ,coons 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,cardin1 and ,mr4 ,flake7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,april #ag1 #bjac ,reported by ,mr4 ,menendez1 with an amendment and an amendment to the preamble and an amendment to the title ,strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic ,strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic ,,resolution ,standing with the people of ,kenya following their national and local elections on ,march #d1 #bjac1 and urging a peaceful and credible resolution of electoral disputes in the courts4 ,whereas the ,government and people of the ,united ,states stand with the people of ,kenya following their national and local elections on ,march #d1 #bjac2 ,whereas the ,governments of the ,united ,states and ,kenya have long shared a strong bilateral partnership1 and ,kenya plays a critically important role as a cornerstone of stability in ,east ,africa and as a valued ally of the ,united ,states2 ,whereas ,kenya's disputed #bjjg presidential election threatened the country's stability and its democratic trajectory1 triggering an explosion of violence that resulted in the deaths of some #a1adj civilians and displaced nearly #fjj1jjj1 some of whom have still not returned home2 ,whereas a mediation effort by former ,united ,nations ,secretary-,general ,kofi ,annan and an ,african ,union ,panel of ,eminent ,african ,personalities1 supported by the ,united ,states1 led to the signing of the ,national ,accord on ,february #bh1 #bjjh1 which facilitated a power-sharing arrangement and led to a series of constitutional1 electoral1 and institutional reforms to address underlying causes of the crisis2 ,whereas1 as part of that reform process1 the citizens of ,kenya participated in a national referendum in ,august #bjaj1 approving a new constitution that mandated significant institutional and structural changes to the government2 ,whereas those constitutional changes have led to important reforms in the judicial sector and the electoral system in ,kenya that aim to build greater public confidence in government institutions1 and which demonstrate meaningful progress2 ,whereas ,kenya's ,independent ,commission of ,inquiry into the ,post-,election ,violence 7the ,waki ,commission7 concluded from its investigation in #bjjh that there had been no serious effort by any government to punish perpetrators of previous incidents of ethnic and political violence1 leading to a culture of impunity that contributed to the crisis that followed the #bjjg elections1 and1 since then1 despite laudable judicial reforms1 few perpetrators or organizers of that violence have been held accountable for their crimes in ,kenyan courts2 ,whereas1 based on the findings of the ,waki ,commission1 mediator ,kofi ,annan submitted a list of key suspects to the ,office of the ,prosecutor of the ,international ,criminal ,court 7,,icc7 in #bjji1 and several have been subsequently charged at the ,,icc with crimes against humanity2 ,whereas the ,department of ,state's #bjaa ,human ,rights ,report on ,kenya notes1 ,widespread impunity at all levels of government continued to be a serious problem4 ,the government took only limited action against security forces suspected of unlawful killings1 and impunity in cases of corruption was common4 ,although the government took action in some cases to prosecute officials who committed abuses1 impunity ''' was pervasive2 ,whereas ,president ,barack ,obama's ,strategy on ,sub-,saharan ,africa1 released in ,june #bjab1 states that the ,united ,states will not stand by while actors ''' manipulate the fairness and integrity of democratic processes1 and we will stand in steady partnership with those who are committed to the principles of equality1 justice and the rule of law2 ,whereas1 prior to the ,march #bjac elections1 concerns about political violence in ,kenya were high1 and in the months preceding there had been strong indications that local politicians in various parts of the country were involved in organizing or inciting violence in order to influence local electoral outcomes2 ,whereas1 in a ,february #bjac message to the people of ,kenya1 ,president ,obama highlighted the power ,kenyan communities have to reject intimidation and violence surrounding the upcoming election1 resolve disputes in the courts as opposed to the streets1 and move forward towards prosperity and opportunity that unleashes the extraordinary talents of your people2 ,whereas1 five years after ,kenya's post-election crisis1 the country held its first general elections under the new constitution on ,march #d1 #bjac1 which were largely peaceful2 and ,whereas ,kenya's presidential candidates and their political parties committed themselves to a peaceful electoral process1 and to resolving any resulting disputes through the judicial process1 which is now underway with the filing of cases before the ,kenyan ,supreme ,court on ,march #af1 #bjac3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,whereas the ,governments of the ,united ,states and ,kenya have long shared a strong bilateral partnership1 and ,kenya plays a critically important role as a cornerstone of stability in ,east ,africa and as a valued ally of the ,united ,states2 ,whereas ,kenya's disputed #bjjg presidential election threatened the country's stability and its democratic trajectory1 triggering an explosion of violence that resulted in the deaths of some #a1adj civilians and displaced nearly #fjj1jjj1 some of whom have still not returned home2 ,whereas a mediation effort by former ,united ,nations ,secretary-,general ,kofi ,annan and an ,african ,union ,panel of ,eminent ,african ,personalities1 supported by the ,united ,states1 led to the signing of the ,national ,accord on ,february #bh1 #bjjh1 which led to a series of constitutional1 electoral1 and institutional reforms to address underlying causes of the crisis2 ,whereas1 as part of that reform process1 the citizens of ,kenya participated in a national referendum in ,august #bjaj1 approving a new constitution that mandated significant institutional and structural changes to the government2 ,whereas those constitutional changes have led to important reforms in the judicial sector and the electoral system in ,kenya that aim to build greater public confidence in government institutions1 and which demonstrate meaningful progress2 ,whereas ,kenya's ,independent ,commission of ,inquiry into the ,post-,election ,violence 7the ,waki ,commission7 concluded from its investigation in #bjjh that there had been no serious effort by any government to punish perpetrators of previous incidents of ethnic and political violence1 leading to a culture of impunity that contributed to the crisis that followed the #bjjg elections1 and1 since then1 despite laudable judicial reforms1 few perpetrators or organizers of that violence have been held accountable for their crimes in ,kenyan courts2 ,whereas1 based on the findings of the ,waki ,commission1 mediator ,kofi ,annan submitted a list of key suspects to the ,office of the ,prosecutor of the ,international ,criminal ,court 7,,icc7 in #bjji1 and several have been subsequently charged at the ,,icc with crimes against humanity2 ,whereas the ,department of ,state's #bjaa ,human ,rights ,report on ,kenya notes1 ,widespread impunity at all levels of government continued to be a serious problem4 ,the government took only limited action against security forces suspected of unlawful killings1 and impunity in cases of corruption was common4 ,although the government took action in some cases to prosecute officials who committed abuses1 impunity ''' was pervasive2 ,whereas ,president ,barack ,obama's ,strategy on ,sub-,saharan ,africa1 released in ,june #bjab1 states that the ,united ,states will not stand by while actors ''' manipulate the fairness and integrity of democratic processes1 and we will stand in steady partnership with those who are committed to the principles of equality1 justice and the rule of law2 ,whereas1 in a ,february #bjac message to the people of ,kenya1 ,president ,obama highlighted the power ,kenyan communities have to reject intimidation and violence surrounding the upcoming election1 resolve disputes in the courts as opposed to the streets1 and move forward towards prosperity and opportunity that unleashes the extraordinary talents of your people2 ,whereas1 five years after ,kenya's post-election crisis1 the country held its first general elections under the new constitution on ,march #d1 #bjac1 which were largely peaceful2 ,whereas ,kenya's presidential candidates and their political parties committed themselves to a peaceful electoral process1 and to resolving any resulting disputes through the judicial process2 ,whereas the ,kenyan ,supreme ,court ruled on ,march #cj1 #bjac1 that ,uhuru ,kenyatta was validly elected1 and his opponents pledged to respect and honor the decision of the ,court2 ,whereas the ,white ,house issued a statement on ,march #cj1 #bjac1 stating1 ,the electoral process and the peaceful adjudication of disputes in the ,kenyan legal system are testaments to the progress ,kenya has made in strengthening its democratic institutions1 and the desire of the ,kenyan people to move their country forward4 ,now is the time for ,kenyans to come together to fully implement the political1 institutional1 and accountability reforms envisioned in the ,kenyan constitution'''4,we welcome and wish to underscore the importance of ,kenya's commitment to uphold its international obligations1 including those with respect to international justice42 and ,whereas in his inauguration speech on ,april #i1 #bjac1 ,president ,kenyatta said1 8,i will lead all ,kenyans - those who voted for me - and those who voted for our competitors - towards a national prosperity that is firmly rooted in a rich and abiding peace in which unity can ultimately be realized''',indeed1 national unity will only be possible if we deal decisively with some of the issues that continue to hinder our progress4 ,achieving peace and strengthening unity will be the goal of my ,government4 ,this work begins now4 ,we welcome all ,kenyans to hold us to account403 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 congratulates the people of ,kenya on their commitment to peaceful elections1 as demonstrated on ,march #d1 #bjac2 7#b7 calls on the people of ,kenya to continue to reject intimidation and violence1 and encourages the peaceful and credible resolution of electoral disputes in the courts2 7#c7 urges restraint on all sides1 while recognizing the right of the people of ,kenya to peacefully exercise their constitutional rights to freedom of expression1 assembly1 and demonstration2 7#d7 urges accountability for anyone found to be complicit in promoting violence or manipulating electoral processes or results2 7#e7 notes that many of the underlying grievances that have underpinned ethnic divisions and fueled the #bjjg-bjjh violence remain largely unaddressed2 7#f7 affirms that accountability for the #bjjg-bjjh post-election violence is a critical element to ensure ,kenya's democracy1 peace1 and long-term stability2 7#g7 calls on the ,government of ,kenya to respect commitments to seek justice for the victims of political violence1 including by honoring its obligations under the ,rome ,statute to cooperate fully with the ,international ,criminal ,court with regard to the three cases that remain before the ,court slated to go to trial in #bjac2 7#h7 recognizes that1 while the ,government of ,kenya has made important progress since the #bjjg election1 aspects of the ,kenyan reform agenda specified in the ,national ,accord and #bjaj constitution remain unfinished1 particularly with regard to police reform1 devolution1 land reform1 and security2 7#i7 encourages the people and ,government of ,kenya to support ongoing implementation of constitutional reforms1 rule of law1 and efforts to strengthen governing1 security1 and judicial institutions that respect the dignity and rights of all the people of ,kenya and ensure protection for judges2 7#aj7 congratulates the many candidates elected to office in the ,march #bjac election--including those at the newly-formed county level--and expresses hope that newly-elected members of government will herald a new generation of responsible leadership in ,kenya2 and 7#aa7 reaffirms that the people of the ,united ,states will continue to stand with the people of ,kenya in support of democracy1 partnership1 and peace4 ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 congratulates the people of ,kenya on their commitment to peaceful elections1 as demonstrated on ,march #d1 #bjac2 7#b7 calls on ,kenyans to come together to fully implement political1 institutional1 and accountability reforms envisioned in the ,kenyan constitution2 7#c7 calls on the people of ,kenya to continue their efforts to end intimidation1 impunity1 and violence2 7#d7 notes that many of the underlying grievances that have underpinned ethnic divisions and fueled the #bjjg-bjjh violence remain largely unaddressed2 7#e7 affirms that accountability for the #bjjg-bjjh post-election violence is a critical element to ensure ,kenya's democracy1 peace1 and long-term stability2 7#f7 calls on the ,government of ,kenya to respect commitments to seek justice for the victims of political violence1 including by honoring its obligations under the ,rome ,statute to cooperate fully with the ,international ,criminal ,court with regard to the three cases that remain before the ,court slated to go to trial in #bjac2 7#g7 calls on the ,government of ,kenya to ensure the ,international ,criminal ,court witnesses are fully protected and not subject to interference but afforded the protections they deserve to ensure justice is served2 7#h7 recognizes that1 while the ,government of ,kenya has made important progress since the #bjjg election1 aspects of the ,kenyan reform agenda specified in the ,national ,accord and #bjaj constitution remain unfinished1 particularly with regard to police reform1 devolution1 land reform1 and security2 7#i7 encourages the people and ,government of ,kenya to support ongoing implementation of constitutional reforms1 rule of law1 the establishment of county level government and efforts to strengthen governance1 security1 and judicial institutions that respect the dignity and rights of all the people of ,kenya and ensure protection for judges2 7#aj7 supports the devolution process in order to enable constitutional reform to be fully implemented2 7#aa7 encourages the ,government of ,kenya to respect and protect the freedom of civil society organizations and activists which have historically led the process of political reform in ,kenya2 7#ab7 expresses hope that newly elected members of government will herald a new generation of responsible leadership in ,kenya2 and 7#ac7 reaffirms that the people of the ,united ,states will continue to stand with the people of ,kenya in support of democracy1 partnership1 and peace4 ,amend the title so as to read3 ,a resolution congratulating the people of ,kenya on their commitment to peaceful elections1 as demonstrated on ,march #d1 #bjac1 and calling on ,kenyans to come together to continue to implement political1 institutional1 and accountability reforms envisioned in the ,kenyan constitution44 ,april #ag1 #bjac ,reported with an amendment and an amendment to the preamble and an amendment to the title