I wish this report from Simon Allison of The Daily Maverick was as surprising as it is disturbing.

It is a continuing source of inspiration to me to see the courage of Gladwell Otieno and many of the other Kenyan civil society leaders who remain steadfast in defending the human rights of those who have been victims of the instrumental violence of Kenya’s politicians.

At this point I have been away too long to claim real insight about a lot of the ins and outs of the daily scramble for power and privilege amongst Kenya’s politicians and other elites, but the basic facts of impunity  for violence and corruption have not changed.

Let me at least say that I am thankful for the courageous example as we are grateful for our freedoms and our rule of law and restraints on power here in the United States.  And that I hope that our policy in East Africa will reflect this gratitude and an appreciation that others deserve the same liberties and protections from their governments that we have enjoyed from ours.

I look forward to seeing some of you at the African Studies Association meeting in Washinton in early December.