Civil society organizations in Kenya are seeking to revolutionize documentation and reporting of extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances through the application of technology.
Some 17 organizations under the Police Reforms Working Group (PRWG-K) among them Transparency International Kenya, Amnesty International and Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU), have formed an online platform dubbed ‘Missing Voices’ to consolidate data of such cases.
The move was informed by the need to have a uniform figure while addressing the issues with authorities and avoid glaring disparities.
The ‘Missing Voices’ website offers victims and witnesses a platform to share cases, anonymously, to reduce risks levels.
Often, human right defenders say victims of extra-judicial killings are subjected to enforced disappearances.
In an interview with Capital FM News, Robi Chacha, the Amnesty International Kenya Campaign Officer Safety and Dignity, said the website offers Kenyans a 24 hour live reporting opportunity in real time.
The advocacy tool, he said will enhance accountability among security agencies.
“Initially, the idea was that each organisation conduct its own monitoring and documentation and reporting of extra-judicial executions, but in terms of advocacy and lobbying, it does not make sense since we seemed to have conflicting numbers and therefore, the duty bearers are able to manoeuvre out of it,” Chacha said.
“The website has collapsed all the researches of the 17 organizations into one platform.”
With this, the can have been able to profile the cases to be able to know the age of the victim, where the incident happened, the police station it was recorded to, witnesses if any and so on.
“Follow up of these cases has become easier,” he said.
The platform has received 438 cases of verified reports of enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings.
He spoke to Capital FM News on at the sidelines of a two-day East Africa consultative forum on extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearances held in Nairobi on October 3.
‘Missing voices’ – platform for victims of Kenya’s extra-judicial killings: NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 8 – Civil society organizations in Kenya are seeking to revolutionize documentation and reportin.. https://t.co/0OC0O6Qv3d
— Breaking News (@News_Kenya) October 8, 2018