Hassan was born in the great city of Mombasa on 23 October, 1975.
His late father Omar Hassan Sarai then worked with the Cargo Handling
Services while his mother Aisha Abdallah Suleiman Mazrui worked as a
clerk at Cadbury Schweppes. His father was to later become a banker at
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia while his mother became a housewife. Hassan
is married to Asli Osman Mahamud who is a lawyer.
Hassan was
brought up as an only child by parents who inculcated strong Islamic
values. Hassan grew up in the Kibokoni neighbourhood in Old Town,
Mombasa. Hassan loved football and was the goalkeeper of the
neighbourhood’s football team, Brazil Junior. Hassan grew up together
with his cousins Khadija Ahmed, Hamida Soud, Alamin Soud, Rashida Soud,
Salim Soud, Abdallah Mabruk, Joha Mbaruk and Abdulmajid Mbaruk who he
regards as his brothers and sisters.
At an early age, Hassan
attended madarassah (Islamic classes) and started his primary schooling
at the Mombasa Primary School in 1982. During these formative days,
Hassan’s uncle, a former Court Clerk and later a miner, the late
Abdallah Mohamed Bin Suleiman became a strong political influence in his
life. The late Abdallah not only got Hassan to loving his tea, but
often discussed with the young Hassan a wide range of issues on current
affairs and politics. His other uncle renowned professor Ali Alamin
Mazrui was a strong intellectual inspiration to Hassan while former
political detainee Prof. Alamin Mazrui was his strong influence towards
the discourse for human rights and social justice.
Hassan joined
Lenana School in 1990 to pursue his high school education at a time of
both local and global transformation that not only shaped the course of
history, but defined the direction Hassan eventually took. The collapse
of the Berlin wall and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR),
the advent of multiparty politics in Kenya through the repeal of section
2A of the constitution, Muslim quest for political participation and
representation through the Islamic Party of Kenya (IPK) among other
highlights of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
After high school,
Hassan briefly underwent military training at the Armed Forces Training
College (AFTC) now the Kenya Military Academy between 1994 and 1995 as
an Air Force cadet. Nonetheless, Hassan left the military college to
pursue a career in law at Moi University in 1995. Hassan’s life at the
university was extremely eventful. It is university life that served as a
critical turning point for Hassan - taking the courageous plunge into
student politics and leader and political activism towards expanding the
democratic space during a repressive Moi/KANU reign.
Hassan was
elected Chairman of the Moi University Student Organization (MUSO), the
Kenya National Students Union (KENASU), the Kenya University Muslim
Students Association (KUMSA) and the Council for University Students of
East Africa (CUSEA). Hassan also served as Secretary General of the East
Africa Youth Council (EAYCO- Kenya Chapter). Hassan got actively
engaged in human rights advocacy and training under the Supreme Council
of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM), Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI) and KENASU.
He received training on governance and democracy from the Les Aspin
Centre for Government, Washington DC, USA. Hassan was also a founder and
board member of the Muslim Consultative Council (MCC) – a human rights
and constitutional change lobby group – and the National Coordinator of
the Muungano wa Mageuzi (Movement for Change) lobby group which
advocated for the expansion of democratic space in Kenya in the period
leading to the 2002 general elections.
In May, 2006, Hassan was
nominated to serve as commissioner of the Kenya National Commission on
Human Rights (KNCHR) by religious institutions including SUPKEM, the
National Muslim Leaders Forum (NAMLEF), Jamia Mosque Committee and the
Coast Interfaith Council of Clerics (CICC). Aged 31, Hassan was
appointed commissioner of the KNCHR in January 2007. At the time of his
appointment, Hassan was the youngest person to be ever appointed as a
commissioner to a legislative or constitutional commission and this
remains the case to-date. Despite his young age, Hassan left a huge
print in Kenya’s human rights discourse.
Hassan’s work at the KNCHR
As the time of his appointment as commissioner, the KNCHR as an
independent National Human Rights Institution was established by an Act
of Parliament, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights Act, 2002.
Under the Constitution, the KNCHR is now a Commission established under
Article 59(4).
Hassan was appointed as Commissioner in January 2007
aged 31 making him the youngest commissioner to serve the KNCHR for a 5
year term of office after a vigorous process which entails
Parliamentary vetting of nominees, adoption by Parliament and eventual
appointment by the President.
At the KNCHR, Hassan has served
as commissioner responsible for various areas of work which include
Security Sector Reforms, Transitional Justice, National Cohesion and
Peace Building and Anti-Corruption Advocacy. Hassan was the head of the
Commission’s election monitoring programme during the 2007 general
elections and later the August 4, 2010 Constitutional referendum. Hassan
served as the Commission’s Vice Chairman from 2008 to 2010.
At a
young age, Hassan was undeniably the Commission’s most vocal and
visible commissioner and in many ways represented one of the most
trusted and respected human rights advocate in Kenya. He distinguished
himself as a fearless and consistent defender of human rights and
provided the KNCHR with massive public credibility and appeal. Hassan
dedicated his time in the Commission as an ardent advocate for
accountability and consistently spearheaded the fight against impunity.
He is a trusted and dependable defender of the weak and often violated
members of the Kenyan society and gives voice to the voiceless.
Hassan had a distinguished and illustrious term at the KNCHR. Being head
of the Security Sector Reform programme, he advocated against
extrajudicial killings by security agencies and in particular the
police. He heightened the campaign to such points as to have the matter
gain the notice and attention of the UN Special Rapporteur on
Extrajudicial killings and summary executions. The report produced under
Hassan’s watch and leadership by the KNCHR, titled, “The Cry of Blood:
Report on Extra-Judicial Killings and Disappearances” published in
September, 2008 largely informed the findings of the UN Special
Rapporteur during his mission to Kenya in February 2009.
As an
advocate against torture Hassan through his department yet published
another report following an investigation on a military operation, “Okoa
Maisha” to root out the Sabaot Land Defence Force where innocent people
were tortured and killed. The report titled, “The Mountain of Terror: A
Report on the Investigations of Torture by the Military at Mt. Elgon”
published in May 2008 was instructive in calling for the accountability
of senior military officers and other duty bearers. The report calling
for the prosecution of senior military officer hitherto unheard of in
Kenya demonstrated not only the courage of the KNCHR but that of Hassan
in dealing with impunity head-on.
Hassan demonstrated his
personal commitment to fighting impunity by calling for accountability
for perpetrators of the 2007 post election violence. At the risk of his
own personal safety and security, Hassan consistently and tirelessly
called for the prosecution of high level perpetrators of crimes
including cabinet ministers, businessmen and other senior government
officials. This was following the release of the KNCHR report titled,
“On the Brink of the Precipice: A Human Rights Account of Kenya’s 2007
Post Election Violence”.
Hassan was responsible for putting in
place the Commission’s Witness Protection Intervention Programme which
offered critical interventions for potential witnesses into the post
election violence at a time when the government’s Witness Protection
Agency was yet to become fully operational. Witness protection is
fundamental towards fighting impunity.
Despite public opinion in
Kenya often appearing to provide legitimacy to illegal police action
Hassan never relented in his constitutional and legal opposition to
extrajudicial killings when combating crimes or renditions in terrorism
related interventions. Hassan took firm positions against the vices. The
KNCHR eventually cultivated relative public support against the vices
and a call for accountability against perpetrators and violators of the
law.
Hassan led initiatives aimed at making human rights a
popular discourse in Kenya. Of particular note is the “Agenda 5” TV
programmes that aired on one of the leading television network in Kenya,
KTN. The programmes leading to the August 4 constitutional referendum
were able to highlight pertinent human rights issues with respect to the
then proposed constitution. The programmes which were immensely
educative greatly helped Kenyans to make informed choices as regards the
constitution and further articulated the human rights message and
discourse to the people of Kenya.
Hassan has participated in
numerous human rights initiatives both locally and internationally. He
has been able to champion for the rights of Kenyans and for the dignity
of all human beings. He is undoubtedly a selfless and unrelenting
advocate for human rights and social justice. Hailing from Mombasa and
some of Kenya’s minority communities, Hassan has distinguished himself
as a true patriot. He has won the respect and admiration of many Kenyans
and international actors.
Present
Hassan is one of Kenya’s illustrious and promising National figures and serves as Senator for Mombasa County.
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