Whereas the United States has a serious interest in the democratic trajectory of Kenya, as the United States and Kenya are partners with longstanding mutual interests in East Africa and cooperate on a wide range of economic and security issues; Whereas unrest related to governance and ethnic tensions has periodically threatened the standing of Kenya as a stable partner in the region; Whereas the Department of State has identified abuses by security forces, including unlawful killings, forced disappearances, and impunity , as among the most serious human rights problems in Kenya; Whereas the 2017 Country Report on Human Rights Practices of the Department of State for Kenya noted that, according to some human rights groups, the number of extrajudicial killings by security forces was significantly underestimated due to underreporting in poor areas, and the report describes impunity as a major problem with respect to both violent abuses and police corruption; Whereas the tumultuous elections held in August and October 2017 were marred by serious human rights violations perpetrated by security forces, who used excessive force to break up protests and carry out house-to-house operations in opposition strongholds; Whereas Human Rights Watch reports that at least 67 people were shot or beaten to death by police after the August 2017 elections; Whereas the continued pattern of widespread sexual violence against women and girls at the time of elections and the absence of appropriate post-violence care demonstrate a failure by the authorities of Kenya to prevent, investigate, and hold perpetrators accountable for election-related gender-based violence