VOA标准英语2011--Kenyan Women’s Groups Call for End to

As International Women's Day is observed worldwide, Kenyan women gathered in Nairobi Tuesday to speak out against the police killings¹ of their loved ones.
For women around the world, the March 8 is a day to celebrate and advance the progress of gender² equality globally. But in Nairobi, March 8 was a day for mothers, daughters, sisters and wives to demand justice for family members killed by Kenya's police.
Police executions have been a notorious problem for Kenya's judicial³ system and government officials over the past decade, prompting international calls for an end to the killings.
The Kenyan government has promised to address the issue, establishing commissions to enact⁴ reforms within Kenya's police force, which Transparency International ranked as the third most corrupt⁵ institution in East Africa in 2010.
Just weeks ago, Kenyan MP Martha Karua alleged⁶ that police executions have risen during the tenure⁷ of President Mwai Kibaki. Karua pointed⁸ to a report by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights which reported nearly 500 cases of extrajudicial killings.
The chairperson of the Social Reform Center, Alice Wahome, told attendees at the rally that the killings have continued. Wahome, who also serves as the deputy secretary general of Karua's NARC Kenya party, urged the attendees to unite and demand the rights given to Kenyans under the country's new constitution.
On January 20, the issue of police executions burst back into the public eye, when the Daily Nation newspaper published photographs of police officers shooting suspects in the middle of a busy highway in broad daylight. Local and international observers swiftly condemned⁹ the killings and Minister of Internal Security George Saitoti immediately promised a full and thorough investigation¹⁰.
"Such acts are totally unacceptable, and more so coming at a time when the government is implementing¹¹ a new constitution that highly upholds the fundamental rights of all citizens," said Saitoti.
In 2009, United Nations' Special Rapporteur Philip Alston conducted a fact-finding mission on police executions in Kenya, finding them to be "a systematic¹², widespread and clearly planned strategy to execute individuals, carried out on a regular basis by the Kenya police."
The report was highly controversial and criticized by many of Kenya's politicians, who challenged Alston's findings as ill-informed.
But for the women - and men - gathered in Nairobi, the report became a rallying cry for justice as victim's families recounted their own experiences.
Ruth Neema told the audience she has never received an explanation for her brother's death at the hands of Kenyan police. Neema found out on Valentine's Day when she found her mother and sister crying at home. When the women travelled to the local police station to find the body, officials could not find any record of the incident.
And though the Tuesday event in Nairobi was organized by women's groups, many men were in attendance to demand answers from the police. Daniel Njoroge told VOA he wanted answers for his brother Joseph Wanyoike, who died just one week ago. According to Njoroge, Joseph was shot in the arm and leg by police in Nairobi, then loaded into a vehicle, where he told bystanders that the police would kill him. Njoroge later found Joseph in the city mortuary, dead from a gunshot to the head.
"We need justice from the police and also those who did that to be arrested, because they are police officers who are known to me. I know them. That is what we want," said Njoroge.
Security Minister Saitoti and police spokesperson Eric Kiraithe have stressed in recent months that the incidents of extrajudicial killings are not representative of the force as a whole and promised serious reform. But for those gathered on Tuesday, promises of reform were not as important as the truth and justice for the loved ones lost in the violence.

1 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

2 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

3 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

4 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

5 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

6 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

7 tenure   

n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期

参考例句：

• He remained popular throughout his tenure of the office of mayor.他在担任市长的整个任期内都深得民心。
• Land tenure is a leading political issue in many parts of the world.土地的保有权在世界很多地区是主要的政治问题。

8 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

9 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

10 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

11 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

12 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。