Kakuzi Limited has taken to court the Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and Ndura Resource Center (NRC) over human rights abuse reports.
The two lobby groups led investigations against Kakuzi guards in Kenya who are said to have perpetrated rape, killings, and abuses in the Makuyu farm.
The investigation reports by the two farms were used to sue Camellia PLC, Kakuzi’s parent company, in the UK which yielded Ksh696 million as compensation.
In the case filed in the High Court, Kakuzi says that the two lobby groups have no evidence on their reports, and want KHRC forced to delete an article published on their website.
“It is incredulous for the respondents to state that they have been investigating the petitioner for the last 17 years yet no report has ever been disclosed to the petitioner,” read the court papers in part.
At least 85 victims were listed by the lobby groups, but 79 sued the company in the UK.
“Accusations of killings, rape and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence causing grievous bodily harm, abominable labour injustices, wanton violence, bad corporate governance are extremely serious accusations and must, as of right, be substantiated with sufficient evidence to support the charge before a court of law,” added the court papers.
Read: Kakuzi PLC Picks Nicholas Nganga To Chair Its Board Amid Human Rights Abuse Claims
Camellia was accused of turning a blind eye to accusations of rape, killings, attacks, false imprisonment, and mistreatment perpetrated by Kakuzi for a period of 11 years.
Among those whose rights were violated include 10 women and girls, including two who are underage and a young man was allegedly clobbered to death by the guards.
Kakuzi says it has lost business due to the allegations, which it says never happened in their land. If the allegations, Kakuzi says then KHRC and NRC are complicit in shielding the perpetrators.
“The only inference that can be drawn from the respondents conduct in refusing to provide the petitioner with the information sought and or in laying a complaint as provided under the law for each and every accusation in the article is false, misleading, and devoid of any evidentiary material,” said Kakuzi.
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