(Geneva) – At the Stockholm Convention 8th Conference of the Parties (COP8), governments bowed to corporate influences in the listing decisions concerning two toxic chemicals under provisions of the treaty. Although delegates agreed to list the chemicals for global elimination, the decisions allow exemptions that extend industrial uses far into the future.
Attention Mr. Ndegwa Muhoro, Director, Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Nairobi, Kenya
Dear Mr. Muhoro:
We are writing this public letter today representing IPEN, a global network of more than 500 public interest non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in 116 countries to strengthen and implement safe chemicals policies and practices that protect health, human rights, and the environment. We are gravely concerned about the safety of our friends and colleagues in Kenya who are members of the Centre for Justice, Governance and Environmental Action (CJGEA).
We are aware that following the legal service notices on the 2nd of February 2017 to Metal Refinery EPZ Ltd. for the Owino Uhuru Class Action Litigation Case, CJGEA members have been ruthlessly threatened and harassed. They are living in fear for their lives. Due to threats to their security, they cannot stay in their homes and have had to relocate.
Yesterday we released a press release (see below) about a member of CJGEA Mr. Alfred Ogola who was almost burned with his family in his house, and nothing has been done. We also talked about the attacks on other CJGEA members.
Today, a member of CJGEA Mr. Wilfred Kamencu's son has been kidnapped. Mr. Kamencu has been at the police station all morning. The fear our members are living in is at an extreme.
We need the government to investigate this and ensure CJGEA members are being protected. We are also calling on the government to please find Mr. Kamencu's son as soon as possible.
We have been making urgent calls to action to the DPP for weeks now, and nothing has been done. We are urging the DPP to step in, investigate this, and ensure that our people are protected and don't go on living in fear.
The IPEN Quick Views document is a summary statement of some IPEN views about issues that will be taken up at the 1st meeting of the intersessional process for considering SAICM and the sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020, including, among others, financing, a multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral approach, raising SAICM's political priority, responding to new and emerging policy issues, and Agenda 2030. Read the Quick Views here.