The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has presented shocking allegations before the court regarding the abductions that occurred in December 2024. The commission claims that the individuals abducted by unknown assailants were given between Ksh. 2,000 and Ksh. 3,000 by their abductors, who allegedly instructed them not to speak about their traumatic experience. According to the KNCHR, the money was meant to facilitate the abductees’ return home, as they were reportedly abandoned in remote, unknown locations.
Appearing before Justice Bahati Mwamuye, the KNCHR’s lawyer argued that the individuals who were abducted had been subjected to severe torture during their captivity. The court was told that the petitioners were stripped naked for several days, shaved, and physically assaulted as part of the torment they endured. The commission has sought to hold the state responsible for the abductions, insisting that the National Police Service (NPS) should be held accountable for the unlawful actions.
The case has drawn attention from multiple human rights and legal organizations, including the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the Katiba Institute. Together with other petitioners, they have called for the state to reveal the whereabouts of other missing persons, whether they are dead or alive. “The duty bearers have failed to produce the two in court, and the only way is for them to be held accountable,” said LSK President Faith Odhiambo, demanding that those responsible be held to account.
Lawyer Dudley Ochiel, representing the petitioners, pointed out that the two missing persons have been gone for more than a month, raising further concerns about the state’s failure to comply with court orders. “The respondents are in contempt of court; they have refused to release the two and have not complied with court orders,” he told the court.
The court session featured the screening of several video clips showing the abductions in question. Among these was a video of President William Ruto, who had earlier promised to end abductions under his government. Also presented was footage showing plainclothes officers detaining Amnesty International Director Hughton Irungu.
Lawyer Martha Karua, who is also representing the petitioners, remarked that abductions in the country had become an epidemic. She emphasized the need to prove a clear pattern of state involvement in these acts, suggesting that the government is aware of the situation from the highest levels. “This is a case where we must show a pattern and demonstrate that the state has knowledge of the situation from the top,” Karua concluded, urging the court to hold the state accountable.
