The African Commission’s Working Group on Indigenous People 2010 Mission to Kenya relying on an earlier (2003) report of its predecessor, summarizes the characteristic features of indigenous peoples in Africa as:
“… the overall characteristics of the groups identifying themselves as indigenous peoples: their cultures and ways of life differ considerably from the dominant society and their cultures are under threat, in some cases to the extent of extinction. A key characteristic for most of them is that the survival of their particular way of life depends on access and rights to their traditional land and the natural resources thereon. They suffer from discrimination as they are being regarded as less developed and less advanced than other more dominant sectors of society. They often live in inaccessible regions, often geographically isolated and suffer from various forms of marginalization, both politically and socially. They are subject to domination and exploitation within national political and economic structures that are commonly designed to reflect the interests and activities of the national majority. This discrimination, domination and marginalization violates their human rights as peoples/communities, threatens the continuation of their cultures and ways of life and prevents them from being able to genuinely participate in deciding on their own future and forms of development” (Report of the African Commission’s Working Group of Experts on Indigenous Populations/ Communities, 2003:89).
The KNCHR has, in discharge of its mandate, continued to engage with indigenous people and different duty bearers and advocated for a human rights based approach to conservation. The KNCHR continues to receive and investigate complaints by Indigenous People on violation of their fundamental human rights and freedoms.Read More