Preliminary medical records have ruled out any physical injuries on Davis Lichuma, despite the activist remaining largely unresponsive days after he was found at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).
Doctors have confirmed that his vital organs are intact, even as his family and Opposition leaders maintain that his mental state points to the effects of a traumatic experience.
Lichuma has remained unable to explain what happened between June 25 and June 28, 2026, when he was allegedly abducted before later being found at the hospital. His relatives said he has only complained of pain in his leg and wrist.
However, the lack of visible injuries has raised concern among family members and political leaders, who want experts to establish what may have happened to him during the period he was missing.
Speaking after visiting him in the hospital, Opposition leaders, including Siaya Governor James Orengo and Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, said his condition showed signs of trauma.
Orengo noted that some forms of torture may not leave physical marks and require specialised examination to determine what the activist went through.
“There are aggressive ways of carrying out torture that are not observable, and we will need experts to tell us exactly what may have been done to this young man,” he said.
Kalonzo added that the main concern was the psychological impact of what Lichuma may have experienced.
“Even though he does not have visible injuries and doctors have examined him, the greatest pain he appears to be suffering from is the trauma of torture because he is still not fully conscious,” he said.
The leaders described Lichuma as an active defender of the Constitution and called for investigations into cases of alleged abductions and enforced disappearances.
“We must bring to an end what is happening in our country. Abductions should not happen in a free and fair democracy. The government should come out clearly and explain what happened,” Orengo said.
Kalonzo said the government must explain why reports of abductions continue despite assurances that such incidents would stop. He emphasised that torture is a crime under the Rome Statute and should not be treated as a political matter.
“Let me be clear: torture is a crime under the Rome Statute. Not a grey area. Not a political talking point. A crime,” he said.
“We have an administration that says on one hand that there will be no more abductions, yet abduction squads continue to operate unabated. We want to make it clear to President William Ruto that these crimes will not go unpunished.”
The leaders also questioned the role of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), accusing the agency of failing to ensure accountability over reported cases of police excesses since 2024.
“IPOA, the evidence is sitting in front of you. A Kenyan - “Mr Speaker” is charged and dragged through court, yet the officer who fired the first bullet outside Parliament still walks free, uninvestigated. That is not justice. That is a double standard of wearing a uniform. Act. For once, act,” Kalonzo said.
He reiterated that records collected through the People’s Restorative and Justice Commission would remain available and would not be erased.
“We have surveyed, we have mapped, and through the People’s Restorative and Justice Commission, we have sat with families and recorded stories that no Kenyan should have to tell. That record will not disappear; it will be preserved, here and before the world,” he said.
He added that a monument would be built beside the Kenyatta Mausoleum next to Parliament buildings during Liberation Day to honour those who lost their lives.
DAP-Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa said IPOA had information on alleged cases but had failed to take action against officers accused of wrongdoing.
“IPOA has these records, and the officers involved are known. What is lacking is the will to hold these officers accountable, and that is why the killings will continue as long as President Ruto’s administration protects these officers,” Wamalwa said.
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru also called on IPOA to act on the reported cases. “IPOA, please do your job because you are making it very difficult for us to defend the government if these incidents continue to dominate the news every day,” she said.
Police on Monday said they were investigating all reported cases of abduction and assault raised by sections of civil society.
Lichuma has since been discharged from Nairobi Women’s Hospital.
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