The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) have exposed alleged cases of sexual abuse by a US company in Kenya.
KHRC, in a Monday, November 6, press statement exposed the US-headquartered company Wildlife Works over cases of systematic sexual abuse, harassment, and exploitation of women.
The cases uncovered involve senior male employees in the company at the Kasigau project in Kenya.
“SOMO and KHRC are publishing a dossier of evidence based on the testimonies of 31 current and former employees and members of the local community,” read part of the statement.
Consequently, the human rights body noted that they shared their findings about the sexual abuse cases with Wildlife Works in early August 2023.
Notably, this was intended to encourage an independent investigation that would ensure the safety of victims at Kasigau.
However, Wildlife Works responded saying they would set up an internal investigation run by a Kenyan law firm but in turn failed.
Cases of Sexual Abuse Revealed
Furthermore, the press statement noted that the sexual abuses reported at the Kasigau project include physical assault and attempted rape on company premises and land.
These cases involved persistent harassment and the use of humiliating sexualized slurs.
“Women are treated as sex objects, but nothing happens because the perpetrators intimidate everybody,” revealed one of the victims.
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KHRC further claimed senior men in the company used their positions of power to demand sex in return for promotions and better treatment at work.
As such, refusal of these sexual demands was met with retribution, including being bullied, intimidated, and denied promotions or other work-related benefits.
One witness described how rejecting sexual advances leads some of these women to live and work in fear of dismissal without any good reason.
Wildlife Works
Wildlife Works is an example of companies that claim to reduce emissions elsewhere in the world – often in the Global South by offering carbon credits.
These credits are then purchased by multinationals like Microsoft and Shell in their pursuit of offsetting carbon emissions on paper.
Notably, the carbon offset industry is significantly driven by the demand created by big multinationals.
“Carbon offsetting is a deceptive business that profits from commodifying nature and communities.
It enables corporations to greenwash and avoid real emission reductions,” said SOMO director Audrey Gaughran.
Perpetrators Named
According to the statement, the abuse has persisted for a decade or more and the key perpetrators of the abuse were repeatedly named by those interviewed.
“Our investigation found compelling evidence that the culture at Wildlife Works’ Kasigau project is one that has enabled sexual abuse to become common-place and common knowledge,” noted Gaughran.
Furthermore, the human rights body revealed that female employees were not the only targets as the abuse of power by senior male staff also extended to the local community.
Degrading Treatment of Community Members
SOMO and KHRC received testimonies from women living in the villages surrounding this project about encounters with Wildlife Works rangers.
Also, these encounters according to the statement left them traumatized, humiliated, and in some cases, in physical pain.
Rangers subjected women found gathering firewood or grazing their livestock on company land to humiliation and abuse.
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“They forced us to kneel on the ground for three hours or long. We cried and cried, but there was no mercy,” one victim recalled.
Nonetheless, Kenya Human Rights Commission program manager Mary Kambo called on the government to carry out investigations on the matter.
“We are calling on the Kenyan government to conduct an independent investigation into the serious allegations of sexual abuse at Kasigau,” noted Kambo.
She added, “As a bare minimum victims must get redress, perpetrators must be held to account, and safeguards be put in place to protect the human rights of Wildlife Works’ employees and the local communities.”
