Kenyans sue Britain at European Court of Human Rights over colonial abuses
NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) – A group of Kenyans whose ancestors were forcibly evicted from their land by British settlers during colonial rule have filed a case against the UK at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to demand justice.
The group’s lawyer, Joel Kimutai Bosek, told the media that the UK has been avoiding the matter whenever it has been brought up for years now, and that is the reason they went to the court to file a lawsuit.
The crimes the UK is being accused of were committed during the colonial era include forced evictions from ancestral lands.
Bosek, who is representing the Talai and Kipsigis peoples, in a statement to the media said the UK government has “avoided every possible avenue of redress,” forcing the group to proceed to court.
The victims, from the Talai and Kipsigis communities in Kericho County, who suffered at the hands of the British colonialists number over 100,000. They were evicted from ancestral lands around Kericho in the early 20th century.
In 2019, they submitted online petitions to the UN demanding an apology and compensation for the colonial crimes committed against them.
Kenya gained independence in 1963. Historians say the resistance from the Mau Mau rebel group hastened the end of colonial rule in Kenya.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
