Against Sanctions and banning Kenya from Commonwealth

Some Human rights groups, Some international organisations, the opposition and sections of Kenyans abroad are calling for the imposition of sanctions against Kenya, banning Kenya from the commonwealth and discouraging Tourists from visiting Kenya. The reason given is to put an illegitimate government under pressure for allegedly rigging the elections.

The question to be asked as the British foreign secretary David Miliband in a BBC interview put it is, ….who does the sanctions help, who does the sanctions hurt and does it have the desired effect?

The effect of sanctions on Kenya is negative because putting the livelihoods of over 30 million Kenyans on the line to put the pressure on people who can endure even 50 years of sanctions does not solve our problems.

Kenya is made up of a government, the opposition and the citizens, imposing sanctions affects more of the citizens than it does a few individuals and hence poor Kenyans living on less than a dollar per day are robbed of the only dollar they have!

Poor Kenyans who have had enough of tribal violence, internal displacements and living in their own country in fear are condemned to “economic displacement”. By doing this, those imposing sanctions and displacing Kenyans economically will be partaking in the same vice they are preaching against.

Kenyans did their part, they voted peacefully. Going back to punish them instead of commending them is a grave breach of human rights. Sticking with us when things are fine and abandoning us when our house is on fire will be a clear indication of an insincere partnership. Due process and dialog should prevail!

We are not hearing calls for investigation and prosecution on crimes of those against who perpetrated ethnic killings and displacements on innocent Kenyans.

The effect of sanctions will be poverty, joblessness, and consequent crime, poor health, political and moral vulnerability aggregating the spread of HIV among other effects.