Kenyan human rights groups lament abductions: summary
What we know
- Human rights organizations in Kenya have raised alarms over a series of abductions targeting activists involved in ongoing protests.
- According to Amnesty International, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, and the Law Society of Kenya, more than 30 people have been abducted, although most were later released.
- Faith Odhiambo, President of the Law Society of Kenya, revealed that interrogation of the abduction victims has focused on the protest movement's financing, organisation, and leadership.
- One such case involves Bill Eugene Omollo, a 28-year-old activist. On June 20, while walking home in his Nairobi neighbourhood, Omollo noticed two men eyeing him near a parked white pick-up truck without number plates. Having participated in the youth-led protests that have roiled Kenya since last month, Omollo had just been released by police following his arrest at a demonstration, Reuters reports.
- Human rights groups attribute these abductions to Kenya's intelligence services, accusing them of conducting extrajudicial arrests. The protests, initially sparked by calls to repeal tax hikes, have evolved into a widespread movement transcending Kenya’s traditional ethnic division, posing a significant challenge to President William Ruto's two-year-old administration.
What they said
The Deputy President of Kenya, Rigathi Gachagua said in a televised address "The president and I gave a categorical promise to the people of Kenya that abductions and extrajudicial killings will never happen again. Sadly, this is back." President of the Law Society of Kenya, Faith Odhiambo, indicated that "It's a very clear indication that the government is behind this." Odhiambo further emphasized that those perceived as protesters or dissenters are being taken from their homes or even while attending church with their families. "They asked me, 'Who sent you? Who is funding you?' I told them no one is funding us," Omollo recounted.
