Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

A new report has documented gross human rights violations against hawkers and street families in Eldoret meted on them  by the Uasin Gishu County inspectorate officers and other non-uniformed groups.

The report by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has criticised how officers in Governor Jonathan Bii’s administration  treated street families and hawkers during a recent confrontation.

KNCHR says there was excessive use of force, torture and inhuman treatment of traders and street persons by the inspectorate officials.

The violations, according to the commission, also happened during the search for persons accused of looting Eldomatt Supermarket and other shops on November 17 last year.

“KNCHR found out that there was substantive information to the effect that the county inspectorate enforcement officers applied excessive force while handling hawkers and street children during the cleanup exercise,” the report says.

Use of force

The commission obtained medical documents and statements from at least 11 victims showing they were admitted at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret with various injuries as a result of assault, torture and excessive use force of by officers. Commission Secretary Benard Mogesa, who handed over the report to Uasin Gishu County Assembly yesterday, also noted that during an operation conducted in November last year, about 300 people were held at the County Social Hall for more than 24 hours.