Kenya: Landmark Ruling on Indigenous Land Rights

[Cross-posted from the WITNESS Hub Blog.]

In a landmark ruling on February 4th, the African Union has condemned the expulsion of the Endorois people from their land in Kenya.  The African Union’s General Assembly adopted a May 2009 decision by the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR), which found the Kenyan government guilty of violating the rights of the country’s indigenous Endorois community, by evicting them from their lands to make way for a wildlife reserve.  This decision – which, with the African Union’s endorsement, becomes legally-binding on the Kenyan government – is being heralded as a major victory for indigenous peoples across Africa, by creating a major legal precedent by recognizing, for the first time in Africa, indigenous peoples’ rights over traditionally-owned land and their right to development.

As part of the evidence package submitted to the ACHPR to support this campaign, WITNESS and our partner CEMIRIDE (Kenya) provided this evidentiary video.

Learn more about how the video supported and strengthened the campaign.  |  Watch the full version of “Rightful Place: Endorois’ Struggle for Justice”.  |  Read the press release from WITNESS and Human Rights Watch.

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