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KNCHR asks state for bigger budget amid plan to decentralise

Members of the Parliamentary Justice and Legal Affairs Committee and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) during their meeting in Mombasa on February 17, 2024. (Photo: X/ KNCHR)

By Farhiya Hussein | Sunday, February 18, 2024

Commission chair Roseline Odede said the organisation needs at least Sh992.82 million for financial year 2024/25.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has formally requested the government to increase its budget to about Sh1 million, saying its allocation in the current financial year has been inadequate.

Chairperson Roseline Odede noted that in the 2024 Budget Policy Statement for FY 2024/2025, the commission was assigned Sh523.46 million, with 351.93 million designated for employee compensation and 171.53 million for other operating expenses.

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"This allocation is insufficient compared to the previous fiscal year and fails to meet all of the organisation's requirements," she said on Friday at a meeting in Mombasa of the KNCHR Justice and Legal Affairs Committee.

She said the organisation needs at least Sh992.82 million for the period.

Citing the organisation's three-day Coast tour before the meeting - in Mombasa, Kwale, and Kilifi counties - Odede noted that more resources are needed to address the needs of vast regions such as this one.

"We have engaged with various stakeholders, addressing pressing issues such as the alarming cases of the killing of the elderly, particularly in Kilifi, with five reported cases in the last month," she said.

She also highlighted land-grabbing cartels and their infringement on people's rights, especially non-resident landowners who risk losing their property.

Regarding the Shakahola massacre of at least 429 people, by alleged cult leader Paul Mackenzie who was based in Kilifi County, the KNCHR chair said their report was near completion.

The research covers topics such as DNA issues, reuniting victims with their families, the return of bodies to homes for burials, psychosocial support, and the protection of individuals' rights during criminal trials.

Committee chair George Murugara supported the KNCHR's request for a bigger budget for FY 2024/2025.

In line with the committee's responsibility to oversee the commission, Murugara stressed the importance of regular meetings to address budgetary concerns and other issues.

He said their discussions centred on the commission's decentralisation, via the establishment of regional offices, so it can serve rural areas, a factors which he noted requires more money.

They also discussed the strengthening of KNCHR's effective implementation of the constitutional Bill of Rights, "a pivotal step towards Kenya's compliance with national, regional and international human rights standards", the KNCHR said.