The impact of counter-terrorism operations on Human rights in Kenya

Abstract

A recurrent issue in the fight against terrorism has been, relating to the respect for human rights. All those who have worked to promote human rights in both domestic and international have realized the rise in the incidents of human rights violation during the fight against terrorism. From 1998, Kenya has suffered several terrorist attacks in which large numbers of people have been killed and others injured. The raises awareness on the impact of terrorism on the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, explains the role of the state on human rights when countering terrorism, and illustrate specific human rights violations in the context of counter-terrorism. Qualitative and Quantitative research design was used in the study. The target population of the study was the staff working at the Kenya National Human Rights Commission headquarters and the officers from Anti-Terrorism Police Unit. The sample size was fifty percent of the population thus 82 respondents. Quantitative data collected was analyzed by use of descriptive statistics by help of SPSS (V. 17.0) and presented through frequencies, percentages, and standard deviations. The study established that terrorism leads to loss of life and property and threatens the dignity and security of human beings. This study therefore recommends that everybody should be involved in counterterrorism by providing necessary information to the concerned authority. In addition the study showed that the government of Kenya should ensure that there are no illegal immigrants and the need for proper screening and enhanced checking and monitoring all those coming into Kenya from other countries.