AFRICA - House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats

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up roadblocks to prevent M.P.’s from attending a Mageuzi event in Busia, and police
forcibly dispersed the rally; six persons were injured and several journalists were
arrested and detained (see Sections 1.d. and 2.a.). On December 12, police used tear
gas and batons to prevent a Mageuzi rally at the Kamukunji Grounds in Nairobi;
several persons suffered minor injuries.
In early May, President Moi was quoted widely in the press calling for action
against the Mungiki religious and political group and police disrupted several of the
group’s meetings during the year (see Section 1.c.). On February 26, police in Thika
forcibly dispersed a rally held by the Alliance of Patriotic Youth, a young group with
strong ties to members of the Mungiki group, because the group reportedly had not
given 3 days notice of their intent to rally. Police used tear gas and truncheons to
disperse the crowd, which resulted in several injuries (see Section 1.c.). On May 14,
a few hundred Mungiki reportedly were praying at Ngomongo grounds in Nairobi
when police broke up the meeting and arrested at least three Mungiki members.
On May 21, police in Embu allegedly blocked a Mungiki recruitment meeting. On
September 17, police in Nairobi disrupted a Mungiki prayer gathering and then
fought with Mungiki members, slum dwellers, and street children; there were no reported
injuries.
Student protests and riots occurred frequently during the year, and police forcibly
dispersed several protests after they became violent, which resulted in injuries (see
Section 1.c.).
There were several violent incidents between progovernment supporters and opposition
supporters during the year. On January 13, supporters of National Development
Party (NDP) Chairman Raila Odinga attacked opposition M.P.’s James Orengo
and Shem Ochuodho during a march against the Parliament-led constitutional review
process. Supporters of the Parliament process reportedly beat several persons
with whips and batons (see Section 1.c.). On January 14 and 15, students loyal to
Orengo again marched in Nairobi to protest against the Parliament-led constitutional
review process. Fighting between the students and pro-KANU and supporters
of the Parliament process resulted in numerous injuries (see Section 1.c.). On June
22, armed youths disrupted meetings of the National Convention Executive Council
(NCEC) in Kisumu, reportedly injuring several NCEC delegates. The incidents did
not gain national media attention until NCEC leaders blamed M.P. Raila Odinga,
Chairman of the NDP, and the Provincial Administration for instigating the violence;
Raila denied the accusations. On November 26, progovernment youths forcibly
disrupted a meeting of the Ufungamano Initiative in Kisumu (see Sections 2.c. and
3). The youths threw Molotov cocktails, burned a vehicle, and beat severely several
persons (see Section 1.c.). Police did not intervene.
The Government continued to use the Societies Act to restrict freedom of association.
The act requires that every association be registered or exempted from registration
by the Registrar of Societies. For years after opposition parties again were
legalized in 1992, the Government refused to act on a number of political party registration
applications. However, since the enactment of reform legislation in 1997,
the Government has acted on some long-pending applications, increasing the number
of registered political parties from 23 to 40. However, the Government continued
to refuse to reverse its 1994 denial of registration of the Islamic Party of Kenya
(IPK), which was involved in a number of violent confrontations with police in 1992
(see Sections 2.c. and 5). The United Democratic Movement political party has
awaited registration since 1998, and continued to pursue its case in the courts; however,
it still was not registered at year’s end. In 1998 the Saba Saba Asili party
postponed its petition for registration, because it believed that the Government
would deny its application.
The Government continued to criticize publicly and to intimidate NGO’s, many of
which it accuses of being ‘‘subversive’’ and of working with the opposition to overthrow
the Government. The Government NGO Coordination Board under the NGO
Act registers NGO’s. The Government used this structure to put pressure on the
nongovernmental National NGO Council. In 1997 the Board directed the Council to
compile a list of ‘‘political NGO’s,’’ presumably to carry out President Moi’s threat
to deregister all ‘‘political NGO’s,’’ but the Council refused. In March 1999, President
Moi publicly stated that NGO’s were trying to destabilize the country by channeling
foreign funds to antigovernment student and labor organizations and using
foreign funds to organize seditious mass protests. In April 1999, the Office of the
President instructed all district governments to monitor NGO’s within their districts
with a view to ensuring that NGO’s either advance government-approved objectives
or cease to operate; however, NGO’s did not report an increase in government monitoring
during the year.
c. Freedom of Religion.—The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the
Government generally respects this right in practice; however, while groups gen-
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