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Reverend Timothy Njoya Of Kenya Wins 2000 John Humphrey Freedom Award

Kenyan human rights activist Reverend Timothy Njoya has been selected as this year's John Humphrey Freedom Award recipient for his efforts to strengthen human rights and the democratic process in Kenya.

Montreal, 16 June 2000 ? Kenyan human rights activist Reverend Timothy Njoya has been selected as this year's John Humphrey Freedom Award recipient for his efforts to strengthen human rights and the democratic process in Kenya.

The Award, which is given each year by Rights & Democracy (International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development), includes a $25,000 grant and a speaking tour of Canada, and is named in honour of John Peters Humphrey, the Canadian who prepared the first draft of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It will be presented in Montreal on December 10, 2000, International Human Rights Day.

From the pulpit to the streets, Reverend Njoya has been calling for freedom from the political dictatorship in Kenya for almost two decades. This Presbyterian Minister is also a very enthusiastic supporter of women's human rights, having established the Men for Equality with Women (MEW) lobby group and working with UNIFEM to popularize equal rights for men and women in Kenya. With Reverend Njoya in the lead, the church has emerged as one of the few institutions willing to challenge Kenya's government under President Daniel Arap Moi. Reverend Njoya's fearlessness and outspokenness have led Kenyan authorities to accuse him of subversion. During pro-democracy gatherings in 1997 and in 1999, Reverend Njoya was brutally beaten by police and hospitalized. His home was also ransacked.

"We hope that this international Award will help provide some form of protection to Reverend Timothy Njoya who has been targeted by the Kenyan police. He is an inspiration to all those who continue to struggle for peace, justice and equality in Kenya," said Warren Allmand, President of Rights & Democracy, upon announcing the decision of the jury.

The international jury for the John Humphrey Freedom Award, which met last week to consider over 50 nominations from around the world, is composed of five members of Rights & Democracy's Board of Directors: Kamal Hossain - Chair of the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust and United Nations' Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan; Kathleen Mahoney - Professor of Law at the University of Calgary in Alberta and Chairperson of the International Centre's Board of Directors; David Matas ? Lawyer practicing in Winnipeg, Manitoba and former President of the Canadian Council of Refugees; Juan E. Mendez ? Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana and member of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and Willy Munyoki Mutunga - Lawyer, Executive Director of the Kenya Human Rights Commission and Co-Chair of the Citizens Coalition for Constitutional Change.

Reverend Timothy Njoya was nominated by a network of 23 human rights organizations in Kenya as well as the Fellowship for Reconciliation (JYAK) in Uganda.

Although multi-party democracy was introduced in Kenya in 1991, the elections in 1992 won by Daniel Arap Moi were ruled unfair. After the 1997 elections, international attention declined and consequently the small concessions and promises made by Moi to improve the country's human rights situation and reform the constitution were not carried out.

Foreign aid has been virtually suspended since these elections. The standard of living has worsened as corruption and financial scandal have left a dire economy with little foreign investment.

Civil society organizations in Kenya are demanding a new constitution that would lead to fair elections and a participatory process. The government, however, continues to exclude them from the constitutional reform process. Ethnic violence, abuse of power, police brutality, arbitrary arrests, torture, and extra-judicial killings continue to be rampant. Many observers believe that Moi's repressive regime will soon trigger a human rights disaster.

Previous John Humphrey Award winners are Dr. Cynthia Maung and Min Ko Naing of Burma (1999); Palden Gyatso of Tibet (1998); Father Javier Giraldo and the Comision Intercongregacional de Justicia y Paz of Colombia (1997); women's rights activist and lawyer Sultana Kamal of Bangladesh (1996); Bishop Carlos F. X. Belo of East Timor (1995); the Campaign for Democracy of Nigeria and the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (1994), the Plateforme des organismes ha?tiens de d?fense des droits humains (1993); and the Instituto de Defensa Legal of Peru (1992).

Rights & Democracy has worked in Kenya since 1992. It has provided financial and technical support to various NGOs in the country, including the Kenya Human Rights Commission, the Centre for Governance and Development, National Convention Executive Council, National Council of Churches of Kenya, Kituo Cha Seria, Public Law Institute, International Commission of Jurists in Kenya, and the International Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya.