• Thursday, 07 November 2024
The Senate will launch an investigation into the British government's treatment of Kenyans.

The Senate will launch an investigation into the British government's treatment of Kenyans.

The Senate Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs, and Human Rights (JLAHR) has decided to investigate all injustices and violations committed by the United Kingdom against Kenyans during the colonial period.
The committee's decision was made in response to a petition filed by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei regarding the United Kingdom's apology for the Talai Community's injustices committed by British colonial masters.

Cherargei proposed in his petition that Koitalel Somoei Day be observed on October 19, the day Koitalel was executed.

In a statement, the committee said it "resolved to look beyond Koitalel Samoei and the Talai community and institute an inquiry into all injustice and human rights violations in the country."

Vice Chair Sen. Chimera, Sen. Mumma, Sen. Omtatah, and Sen. Kibwana were present at the meeting.

The committee's proposal comes after repeated requests from the Nandi Community and Koitalel's family for the UK government to return Koitalel's head, which they allegedly took to London after the former was shot dead on October 19, 1905, by British Col. Richard Meinertzhagen.

"We currently acknowledge the UK's strong ties, but we would like them to issue a public apology to the Nandi people. We also want them to return Koitalel Arap Samoei's head. Perhaps now is the time to do so, especially as we seek to strengthen ties in the future "Geoge Taurus, the county's legal officer, told Citizen Digital in September.

After a UN Rights Council order requiring the UK to compensate approximately 500,000 victims of pre-independence injustices, the British government issued a public apology to the Talai victims in 2021.

 

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