Rights groups are raising alarm as one protester remains missing after five others were found injured following their arrest by police on Thursday during the June 25 anniversary commemoration near Parliament.
The five, Fredrick Ojiro, Collins Otieno, Elisha Alam, Michael Ngigi, Muteti Mulinge, and Christine Lubanga, were reportedly dumped at various spots across the city, some on Lang’ata Road and others near Ngong Forest, with injuries. One, Davis Lichuma, remains missing.
“Five of the comrades who were violently arrested at Parliament yesterday have been located. They were dumped by the roadside and are currently in the hospital receiving medical treatment for physical injuries. This leaves only one missing. Davis Lichuma. Where is he?” Vocal Africa posed on Saturday.
The activists had all been detained at Central Police Station after their arrest during the June 25 protests, but were not arraigned in court, unlike other protesters who were arraigned on Friday afternoon and later freed on cash bail.
On Saturday, the Social Justice Centres Working Group (SJCWG) faulted security agencies for failing to inform the public of their whereabouts or legal status.
“This lack of transparency is deeply troubling and raises serious concerns regarding their safety, security, and constitutional rights. We are particularly alarmed by the situation of Davis Lichuma, who has previously been subjected to repeated arbitrary arrests and has allegedly endured torture while in police custody. In light of this history, the continued silence by the police places his life and the lives of the others at significant risk,” the group said.
It reiterated that the National Police Service (NPS) has a constitutional and legal obligation to protect every person in its custody and to ensure that arrested persons are promptly presented before a court of law or released in accordance with the law.
“Any failure to account for individuals last seen in police custody raises the spectre of enforced disappearance and other serious human rights violations,” the statement adds.
The group demanded that the NPS and the Inspector General of Police immediately disclose the whereabouts and legal status of Lichuma within 24 hours, failing which he shall be held personally and institutionally accountable for any harm suffered while under State custody or control.
“We further call upon the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), civil society organisations, and the international community to urgently intervene and ensure that the rights, safety, and lives of these individuals are protected,” the group stressed.
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