Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has filed a case today at the High Court in Kibera, Nairobi, demanding the release of seven youths who are believed to have been abducted by state machinery for criticising the government.
The list of victims’ names provided before the court includes Gideon Kibet, Ronny Kiplagat, Steve Kavingo Mbisi, Billy Mwangi, Peter Muteti, Bernard Kavuli and Kelvin Muthoni, and the Senator wants the police to produce them either dead or alive. Reportedly, they were allegedly taken from their homes and streets within the last three weeks, months after the youth-led nationwide protests against the deepening economic and health crises during President William Ruto’s rule.
Through lawyer Philip Langat, Omtatah is suing the Inspector-General of Police, Douglas Kanja, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss, Mohamed Amin, and the Director of Public Prosecutions, Renson Ingonga.
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“In the alternative, the respondents should explain why the said applicants should not be released on bond or bail,” Omtatah states in the affidavit filed in court.
In the past few weeks, the country’s security officials have been accused of regularly abducting, detaining, and harassing opponents of President Ruto’s administration, although the government denies these claims.
Human rights defenders allege that all of the missing activists and critics are believed to have been tracked down by government intelligence and a unit drawn from multiple security agencies, who tapped into their phone signals.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) said on Thursday that there had been 82 abductions carried out “clandestinely, with unidentified armed persons” since June, with 29 still missing.
It listed the seven youths as victims who had been abducted since December 17.
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