European envoys raise concerns over wave of abductions in Kenya

European diplomatic missions in Nairobi have raised concerns over the spiralling wave of abductions, arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances in Kenya and called on President William Ruto to ensure the rule of law prevails. 

In a joint statement signed by the ambassadors of Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the British High Commissioner, the diplomats on Thursday said thorough investigations should be done to unmask the culprits behind the abductions and arbitrary arrests.

The Kenyan Constitution, they said, sets out the rights and fundamental freedoms to which each of its citizens are entitled.

“It (Constitution) establishes the Bill of Rights as the framework for its economic and social policies. Upholding human rights leads to stability and prosperity. Therefore, we note our concern over ongoing reports of arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances despite High Court rulings,” they said.

The diplomats noted that President William Ruto has made a commitment that such incidents would not happen under his watch and challenged him to act.

This statement comes barely a few days after US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman condemned the abuse of mobile phone user’s rights to privacy after an exposé by the Nation revealed telco’s complicity in aiding and covering up abductions and killings by rogue security agencies.

“The laws on privacy and rule of law around the rights of a private citizen need to be respected in democracies,” Ms Whitman said during a media interview in Kitale where she had gone to meet local civil societies.

The US diplomat said her government was committed to working with civil societies to uphold the rights of all individuals and called for action against human rights violations.

Read: Outrage after police phone spying exposé

The statements by envoys from Europe and the US come at a time Kenya is grappling with rising cases of killings, abductions and arbitrary arrests, mainly targeting government critics and human rights defenders.

The latest case involved the arrest of activist Boniface Mwangi from his Machakos home and subsequent detention at Kamukunji Police Station.

Mr Mwangi, who called for demonstrations in Nairobi on October 26, was released after spending a night in police cells without being charged in court.

Wajir Ward Representative Yusuf Hussein Ahmed, who was abducted in Nairobi some 49 days ago, is still missing, with police denying knowledge of his whereabouts.

On Thursday, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) said Inspector-General Douglas Kanja and other police chiefs should be held accountable for rising abductions, extra-judicial killings as it demanded a stop to abuses.

The current situation, the Commission said, violates the right to life, erodes personal liberty and security as well as stifles civic space.

“Since June 2024, the Commission has investigated 60 cases of extrajudicial killings and 71 cases of abductions and enforced disappearances…we unequivocally condemn the surge of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and other human right violations,” Roseline Odede, the KNCHR chairperson said.

To address and mitigate the crisis in the country, the commission has urged the government to conduct immediate investigation and prosecution and prioritise the safety human rights defenders and activists.

KNCHR also called on the government to carry out legal and institutional reforms within security agencies and create a victims’ fund to compensate and support families of victims of enforced disappearances, abductions and extrajudicial killings.

In late September, a group of human rights organisations released a report detailing alarming findings on the Gen Z protest dubbed “Occupy Parliament” on June 25, 2024.

According to the report, which was based on extensive research and interviews, six people were killed on that day and 72 were either abducted or remain missing as a result of the protest.

Throughout the protests that lasted almost two months, a total of 61 killings were documented across different parts of the country. 

The report also revealed that 67 cases of enforced disappearances had been lodged this year, with 40 cases resolved so far, leaving 27 still unresolved.

With regards to arbitrary arrests, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) established that human rights organisations facilitated the “release of over 300 persons illegally detained” on June, 25.

"As of the end August, the Law Society of Kenya had documented 72 people that had been abducted, released, or were still missing in relation to the protests. Thirteen disappeared on June 25, and a further twenty-three went missing within seven days of this protest,” the report stated.

It has also emerged that this same subject of abductions featured in separate discussions between President Ruto and the intelligence chiefs of the US and UK who have on different dates paid Kenya a visit.

Earlier this week, the US Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns met with Dr Ruto where the US not only offered to boost Kenya’s National Intelligence Service’s operations, but also asked the Head of State to deal with the numerous cases of enforced disappearances.

This was Mr Burn’s second visit to the country in the year following his prior tour in January.

In June, just days before the Gen Z protests rocked the country, the Federal Bureau of Investigations Chief Christopher Wray also visited Kenya for five days.

Last week, Britain’s MI6 boss Richard Moore met President Ruto at State House. He was accompanied by the UK's High Commissioner to Kenya, Neil Wigan.

The UK top spy chief, like his US counterpart, expressed his concern with the abductions and the manner in which government agencies were targeting human rights defenders and persons who criticised the government.

Some of such individuals include political activists Bob Njagi, Aslam and Jamil Longton, who were abducted in August and went missing for 32 days.

It is believed that they were abducted by persons believed to be police officers who kept them incommunicado for over a month before releasing them in the wee hours of the morning on September 20, 2024.

Among the most vocal human rights activists constantly arrested then later on released without being charged include Boniface Mwangi and Vocal Africa’s Executive Director, Hussein Khalid.

Despite all these reports being in the public domain, President Ruto has always denied knowledge of any cases of abductions and/or enforced disappearances in the country.