By Matthew Russell Lee, this
UNITED NATIONS, October 16 – After the Kenya elections results the UN praised on August 12 were thrown out on September 1, Inner City Press immediately asked the three top spokespeople of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres for comment. There was none then, and when Guterres took some media questions on September 5, Inner City Press loudly asked Guterres if he has any update to its praise of Kenya's now reversed electoral win by Uhuru Kenyatta. Video here.
On October 13, Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric about Kenyatta's ban on protests and was told to ask the UN team in Kenya, headed by Siddharth Chatterjee the son in law of Dujarric's former boss and former UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, UN transcript here, and below. Chatterjee, who was given the job by his father in law without recusal and is inordinately close with the Kenyatta government, has said little. But now UN experts from Geneva have issued a statement that "Kenya must lift its newly-imposed ban on protests in key cities, end police brutality during demonstrations, and halt attacks on the judiciary and civil society in the tense run-up to presidential elections on 26 October. Even before this ban was imposed, we were witnessing a pattern of police brutality and excessive use of force against protesters, as well as consistent harassment of judges and threats to civil society. The ban means no protests can be held in parts of Kenya’s three largest cities - Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu - until further notice. The experts said there was currently an alleged climate of impunity for law enforcement officers.. They highlighted a recent incident on 28 September, when 27 students and staff at the University of Nairobi were reportedly injured when police used tear gas, beat them with wooden clubs, robbed them and threatened them with sexual violence. A few days later, on 2 October, police reportedly used tear gas in a nursery in Nyalenda, injuring at least three children, while protests in some other parts of the country were also met with a heavy-handed response by security forces. The UN experts: Mr. Michel Forst, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; Ms. Agnes Callamard, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Mr. Diego García-Sayán, the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers; Mr. Nils Melzer, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and Mr. David Kaye." Now if only UN experts would assess and spotlight those UN officials who are too close to, and cover up for governments who do these things, as in Myanmar, Cameroon and elsewhere. From the October 13 UN trancript: Inner City Press: You often say, you know, that the UN stands firmly behind the right to free association and… and protests. Most recently, you said that about Gabon, but I wanted to ask you. In Kenya very loudly the Government has outlawed protests in urban centres, so in a way, it's a pretty broad ban on protests, and I haven't heard anything that… that the UN in Kenya said about this. Can you say from here why they haven’t said it from there? [cross talk] Spokesman: "Well, our principle stands, and I think you have the phone numbers and email addresses of all my colleagues in Nairobi and you're free to ask them." Sid? Who blocks Inner City Press? On October 6, Inner City Press asked the President of the General Assembly's spokesman about Kenya(tta) foreign minister Amina Mohamed being now an advisor to the PGA, and some (mis) reporting in Kenya. Video here, from the PGA's summary: "Asked about media reports in Kenya that Kenyan Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed now had a “UN job”, the Spokesperson clarified that membership on the Team of External Advisors did not mean that the advisors were United Nations employees or staff. They were serving in their own capacities without any salaries from the United Nations. Asked whether any team member would be lobbying the President on behalf of interests in their own countries, the Spokesperson stressed that the team members would only be advising on how to advance the President’s priorities and discussing global issues that were of concern to the President, the General Assembly and the United Nations in general." In Kenya the UN Development Program, run by Siddharth Chatterjee the son in law of Guterres' predecessor Ban Ki-moon, has quietly taken down the web page bragging about its role in the first round of elections, which Inner City Press cited on September 27. The next day, the webpage was gone. On October 5, after Sid as in his M.O. used a proxy to defend and promote himself, Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric: UN Transcript here, Inner City Press: in Kenya, I did see… I guess Farhan [Haq] sent a statement by the… by the U… the UN Information Centre there, but things… I wanted to ask you about this, because we often hear from Gordon Brown in here about attacks on schools. And there's been a widely reported teargassing of a nursery school in an attempt, I guess, to get the Raila Odinga NASA supporters a school… a school was teargassed. So, I'm wondering, does this… is it only Gordon Brown's job in the UN system or is the UN… [cross talk]Spokesman: "I have not seen that reported. It is clear that we and the Secretary-General and others have spoken out whenever schools have been attacked, but I will look at that report." Seven hours later, nothing. Meanwhile, UNDP's head ofgovernance Sheila Ngatia's twitter account, identifying her as UNDP, is "protected;" it is reported she is the daughter of Uhuru Kenyatta's lawyer. The UN is being exposed in Kenya, as being too close to the government as it is in Myanmar, Cameroon and elsewhere. And all the head of UN in Kenya Sid Chatterjee can do is issue threats to people's livelihoods; the UN in New York, rather than restricted Press for him, should fire or re-assign him. The New York City Bar Association has criticized Uhuru Kenyatta for his attacks on the judiciary, while the UN in New York and Nairobi, under Ban Ki-moon's son in law Sid, has remained tellingly silent. It was Chatterjee's UNDP which was still bragging online about its work on the election, including for "transparency." Like the transparency of Sid being promoted by his own father in law without recusal, then blocking and bad-mouthing the Press that reports on it? We'll have more on this. On September 25, Inner City Press asked Guterres's spokesman, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: In Kenya, the… the UN staff member on leave, Roselyn Akombe, has said she's facing death threats. There's also reports of investigation of her role in the… in the Electoral Commission and the arrest of a… of a member of parliament for allegedly insulting the President, [Uhuru] Kenyatta. I'm just wondering, what is the UN… the UN, since it has an office in Nairobi and is seeing these things take place, including the arrest of parliamentarians for verbal insults to the President, does the UN have any response to what's taking place…? Spokesman: I don't have anything on that. You're welcome to check also with the office in Nairobi." But the head of the UN office in Nairobi, Ban Ki-moon's son in law Siddharth Chatterjee, blocks Inner City Press. Back on September 5 Guterres stopped - and then bragged that his official letter (a belated one on Myanmar) will be in Dujarric's office. Not a single question, or even sentence, was about Africa, where most of the UN's peacekeeping operations are. On September 11, Inner City Press asked Dujarric about Uhuru Kenyatta saying if Raila Odinga is elected president in the re-run election on October 17, his party will remove him from office: "even if he is elected, we have the opportunity in two months, three months to remove him." Dujarric wouldn't criticize even this, and refused Inner City Press' question on UN Roselyn Akombe, except to refer to some written request that has never been shown to the public. Then Dujarric walked off; see this. Back on September 5, three hours after Guterres refused its question, the UN sent Inner City Press this: "Regarding your question on the Kenyan election process, we have the following to say: The United Nations takes note of the Supreme Court’s ruling on the 8 August 2017 presidential elections. The Secretary-General's position, as conferred in previous statements and calls, has been that parties should take their grievances to Court and respect the Court’s decisions, which both Jubilee and NASA have demonstrated today. He reiterates his call on all political leaders and their supporters to respect and abide by the ruling of the Court, as the legal and constitutionally mandated body with the highest authority to decide on this matter." On September 7, Inner City Press asked Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: on Kenya obviously, the drought readout. But, as I'm sure you know, beyond what you emailed after the Secretary-General's stakeout, the election results were thrown out, and now, there's an enormous fight around the Electoral Commission. Given that there's one on-hiatus UN DPA [Department of Political Affairs] staffer on the commission and given that person being now ousted from the commission was a former UNDP staffer, there are many people in Kenya wondering what the… if the UN is, in fact, impartial in this case. What is the UN's view of the… of the Electoral Commission dispute? And is Ms. Roslyn Akombe still on…? Spokesman: She's still on special leave. I think the ruling of the Supreme Court is something we've taken note of. I think the Secretary-General, in an interview that he did yesterday, I think said it was a sign of democracy, of the democratic process. From the beginning, I think we have been calling on parties who had grievances to follow the legal pathways. That has happened. It is now up to the Kenyans and the established procedures to be followed. Inner City Press: So, I mean, just because as you may have seen, the President [Uhuru] Kenyatta of Kenya has called the head of the Supreme Court a "crook" and said that if he wins on a second term he will "take care of the Court". So, does that… I didn't see this interview, but is that within… within… in keeping with the Secretary-General's saying that everyone is following the legal procedure? Spokesman: "That would not be." The dubious August 8 electoral results have been thrown out by the Supreme Court, because the "Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission" IEBC) “failed, neglected or refused to conduct the presidential election in a manner consistent with the dictates of the constitution." At the UN, Secretary General Guterres had very quickly congratulated August 8 "winner" Uhuru Kenyatta; since then Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric has dodged and then refused Inner City Press' questions. On the morning of September 1, Inner City Press asked Dujarric and his top two deputies: "On deadline, what are the comments of the Secretary General and, separately, of the UN's Resident Coordinator in Kenya, and the USG of DPA, on the throwing-out of the August 8 electoral “win” of Uhuru Kenyatta? Again, what is the status of Roselyn Akombe with the UN, especially now? Confirm or deny that the DPA post held by Taye Brook Zerihoun was offered to Monica Juma, and separately if, after August 8, she said she didn't (any longer?) want the position. Please now answer Inner City Press' August 28 questions about Kenya, and the entirely unanswered questions from August 29 and August 30. Please confirm receipt of this email." But Dujarric and his deputies didn't answer, didn't confirm receipt or even put out anything on Kenya. The UN is corrupt. Will Kenyatta still come speak at the UN General Assembly high level week on September 20, scheduled as put online by the Free UN Coalition for Access (also cracked down on by the UN), here? What of the cravenly pro-Kenyatta work of UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya Siddharth Chatterjee, the son in law of former Secretary General Ban Ki-moon whom Ban gave the job without any recusal? When Inner City Press asked its questions, Chatterjee blocked Inner City Press on Twitter and UN Headquarters said that' fine. The UN has become a place of censorship for corruption. We'll have more on this. After the murder of Kenyan electoral official Chris Msando, Inner City Press on August 1 put the question at the UN to Secretary General Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here and below. Now on August 28, Inner City Press asked three UN spokespeople this: "In Kenya, it is reported that more than a dozen opposition supporters were killed in Kisumu. What is the Secretary General's, or UN Resident Coordinator Siddharth Chatterjee's, comment and action on this?" Hours after submission - the Spokesman canceled the noon briefing - while one line responses were offered to two other question, there was nothing on this, nothing at all. This is today's UN. After Kenya moved to de-register a second human rights group, Inner City Press asked lead UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric on August 15, UN transcript here and below. Inner City Press has learned, and exclusively reports, that Kenya(tta) foreign ministry official Monica Juma has been offered a top job in Jeffrey Feltman's UN Department of Political Affairs, to replace Taye-Brook Zerihoun. She was granted six months to "sit" on the job, to help Kenya(tta), as one source put it to Inner City Press. On August 24, Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: Jeffrey Feltman, being in Somalia... they’re tweeting pictures of him with Farmajo. But what I wanted to know is, given that he’s so close to Kenya and… is he… where else has he gone on this trip? I was unaware that he was there. And can we get some kind of a readout of this trip and whether or not it will include Kenya and… Kenya, if you have any update as more and more people are saying that the results that were put online don’t line up with what was announced and what the Secretary-General congratulated. Is there any updated statement by the UN? Spokesman: "Not, not from us here. There’s a calendar which is playing itself out and there are institutions that are at work on this. And I’ll see what I can get you on Mr. Feltman." Which was, seven hour later, nothing. On August 21 Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here. Five hours later, nothing. Now the dismissive or vague position of today's UN to press freedom is further exemplified by silence on the reported detention at gunpoint of blogger Robert Alai, here. The UN's resident coordinator in Kenya has for example blocked the critical Press on Twitter; UN Spokesman Farhan Haq on August 19 had no specific comment when Inner City Press asked about detentions by Morocco of citizen journalists reporting on the crackdown in Rif. (Lead UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric evicted Inner City Press and still restricts it, for its coverage in the Press Briefing Room of the UN bribery case against now-conficted Ng Lap Seng.) The UN is losing its way, including in Kenya. On August 18, Inner City Press asked UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq, UN transcript here.
