On Tuesday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Kenyan security forces of abducting, torturing, and killing individuals believed to be leading anti-government protests held between June and August. According to HRW, security officers detained individuals in illegal facilities, including forests and abandoned buildings, without access to their families or legal counsel.
One of the victims, 20-year-old Kennedy Njeru, was involved in a protest on June 25 against a proposed tax hike. His mother, Mary Muthoni Mwangi from Kirinyaga, searched for him for four days before locating his body in a city mortuary, where an autopsy revealed a bullet wound to his head.
HRW reported that during the protests, which saw thousands of young Kenyans demonstrating against the Finance Bill 2024, 61 people were killed across the country. HRW’s Africa division director, Mausi Segun, noted that police were involved, as many abductees were taken to police stations, where torture reportedly occurred. Witnesses also identified their captors as security agents, despite their use of plain clothes and unmarked vehicles.
Segun further described how the bodies of abducted individuals were often found abandoned, showing signs of torture and mutilation. Many of these remains were not returned to families.
President William Ruto, when questioned in August, stated he was unaware of the alleged abductions, urging families to submit names for government action. HRW has urged the Kenyan government to investigate and hold those responsible accountable. In September, Mary Mwangi and others attempted to submit a list of missing and deceased individuals to the president’s office but were met with teargas. Eventually, Ruto refrained from signing the tax increase into law.
