,,iii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #faf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august   
#bc1 #bjah ,mr4 ,booker 7for himself1   
,mr4 ,flake1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 and ,mr4     
,coons7 submitted the following         
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,foreign ,relations       
,,resolution  ,urging the ,government of
 ,kenya to respect human rights1 protect
 democratic space for civil society1 and
 promote transparent and accountable    
democratic governance4  ,whereas the    
,united ,states has a serious interest  
in the democratic trajectory of ,kenya1 
as the ,united ,states and ,kenya are   
partners with longstanding mutual       
interests in ,east ,africa and cooperate
 on a wide range of economic and        
security issues2 ,whereas unrest related
 to governance and ethnic tensions has  
periodically threatened the standing of 
,kenya as a stable partner in the       
region2 ,whereas the ,department of     
,state has identified abuses by security

 forces1 including unlawful killings1   
forced disappearances1 and impunity1 as 
among the most serious human rights     
problems in ,kenya2 ,whereas the #bjag  
,country ,report on ,human ,rights      
,practices of the ,department of ,state 
for ,kenya noted that1 according to some
 human rights groups1 the number of     
extrajudicial killings by security      
forces was significantly underestimated 
due to underreporting in poor areas1 and
 the report describes impunity as a     
major problem with respect to both      
violent abuses and police corruption2   
,whereas the tumultuous elections held  
in ,august and ,october #bjag were      
marred by serious human rights          
violations perpetrated by security      
forces1 who used excessive force to     
break up protests and carry out         
house-to-house operations in opposition 
strongholds2 ,whereas ,human ,rights    
,watch reports that at least #fg people 
were shot or beaten to death by police  
after the ,august #bjag elections2      

,whereas the continued pattern of       
widespread sexual violence against women
 and girls at the time of elections and 
the absence of appropriate post-violence
 care demonstrate a failure by the      
authorities of ,kenya to prevent1       
investigate1 and hold perpetrators      
accountable for election-related        
gender-based violence2 ,whereas1        
although the ,september #a1 #bjag1      
decision of the ,supreme ,court of      
,kenya to nullify the results of the    
,august #bjag election demonstrated the 
independence of the judiciary1 a result 
of reforms under the new ,constitution  
of ,kenya1 subsequent threats and       
attacks against judges1 disregard by    
government officials for court orders1  
and a more recent effort by the         
,government of ,kenya to cut the budget 
of the judiciary raise concerns about   
respect for the separation of powers in 
,kenya2 ,whereas1 following the         
electoral victory of ,president ,uhuru  
,kenyatta in ,october #bjag1 the        

,government of ,kenya has targeted the  
media and access to information1 despite
 numerous public promises to safeguard  
press freedom2 ,whereas1 more recently1 
journalists and civil society activists 
have raised concerns that a new         
cybercrime law that criminalizes the    
publication of fake news may be used to 
stifle press freedom2 ,whereas reports  
of anti-riot police physically attacking
 journalists1 senior government         
officials threatening journalists1 and  
arbitrary arrests and kidnappings of    
journalists suggest a pattern of abuse  
and a closing of civic space2 ,whereas  
an independent1 impartial media is      
crucial to ensure access to information 
for the people of ,kenya as afforded by 
the ,constitution of ,kenya2 ,whereas   
the lack of accountability for the      
police of ,kenya and actions to limit   
democratic space for civil society      
threaten to undermine the ,constitution 
of ,kenya and the rule of law2 ,whereas 
the religious1 ethnic1 and geographic   

diversity of the people of ,kenya is a  
source of strength and economic vitality
 for the country2 ,whereas the courts of
 ,kenya have made some progress in      
providing access to justice1 as         
demonstrated when the ,high ,court      
agreed to hear a case1 brought by #c    
rights groups representing the lesbian1 
gay1 bisexual1 and transgender community
 7in this preamble referred to as the   
,,lgbt community71 to challenge parts of
 the penal code seen as targeting the   
,,lgbt community2 and ,whereas the      
,government of ,kenya must continue to  
work towards protecting the human rights
 of the ,,lgbt community in ,kenya      
because many members of the community   
continue to face harassment1 threats1   
and violence3 ,now1 therefore1 be it    
,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 calls upon the 
,government of ,kenya and ,president    
,kenyatta--  7,a7 to enforce the rule of
 law by-- 7i7 publicly condemning all   
extrajudicial killings and other        
violations perpetrated by the security  

forces of ,kenya2  7ii7 ensuring that   
extrajudicial killings and other        
violations are investigated and         
prosecuted by an independent judicial   
inquiry1 such as the ,independent       
,policing ,oversight ,authority2  7iii7 
investigating the excessive use of force
 by the security forces2 and  7iv7      
committing to provide reparations1      
including adequate compensation1 for    
victims and their families2  7,b7 to    
secure human rights for all citizens of 
,kenya1 including members of the        
lesbian1 gay1 bisexual1 and transgender 
community2  7,c7 to safeguard press     
freedom1 according full respect to      
international law1 by allowing open     
reporting and commentary on any issues  
of pressing public interest and by      
permitting journalists to exercise the  
freedom of expression as provided for in
 the ,constitution of ,kenya2  7,d7 to  
open up civic space by allowing         
individuals to assemble peacefully1     
express their views freely1 and hold    

opinions without interference2  7,e7 to 
reform electoral processes and          
institutions1 including by providing    
support for accountability1 as part of a
 broader effort to address the history  
of election-related violence in ,kenya  
and prevent future bloodshed2  7,f7 to  
provide access to independent courts for
 citizens of ,kenya who have suffered   
from intimidation1 corruption1 and      
violence by the security forces of      
,kenya and armed gangs2 and  7,g7 to    
demonstrate greater respect for the     
independence of the judiciary by        
complying with court orders and ceasing 
actions or statements that may be seen  
as seeking to intimidate judges2  7#b7  
urges the security forces of ,kenya--   
7,a7 to show restraint and refrain from 
any unnecessary or excessive use of     
force1 including intimidation1          
kidnapping1 extrajudicial raids1        
confiscation1 and killings2  7,b7 to    
carry out arrests and prosecutions in   
full accordance with the rule of law and

 demonstrate transparent due process2   
and  7,c7 to publicly acknowledge       
violations1 conduct speedy1 impartial1  
thorough1 and transparent               
investigations1 and hold those          
responsible to account as a key step    
toward achieving justice for victims2   
7#c7 calls upon the leaders and citizens
 of ,kenya to begin a national          
conversation to build cohesion and      
address longstanding issues2 and  7#d7  
calls upon the ,president1 the          
,secretary of ,state1 and other senior  
officials of the ,united ,states1 as    
well as international partners--  7,a7  
to raise the issues described in this   
resolution with ,president ,kenyatta and
 the ,government of ,kenya2  7,b7 to    
continue to support civil society and   
the development of democratic           
institutions in ,kenya2 and  7,c7 to    
identify opportunities in which         
resources or diplomatic engagement could
 contribute to moving democracy forward 
in ,kenya4