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Nairobi — Human rights organisation Vocal Africa has claimed that five activists arrested outside Parliament during Thursday’s Gen Z anniversary protests have disappeared, despite the release of more than 200 other demonstrators following court proceedings.
Vocal Africa Chief Executive Officer Hussein Khalid said the five were arrested in broad daylight while activists were laying wreaths at the barbed wire barricades outside Parliament but have not been seen since.
“Kenyans, comrades, fellow citizens, out of the people who were arrested yesterday, there are those that were apprehended as we were laying wreaths of flowers at the barbed wire fence outside Parliament. These colleagues remain missing to date and we don’t know where the police took them after arresting them,” Khalid said.
He identified the missing activists as Fredrick Ojiro, Colins Ochieng, Muteti Mulinge, Michael Ngige and Ochieng Alam.
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“Let’s raise our voices and demand their immediate release,” he appealed.
In a separate statement, Khalid singled out one of those reported missing.
“Where is Fredrick Ojiro? Police arrested him yesterday together with others outside Parliament in broad daylight. Now they are all missing,” he said.
The claims emerged hours after a court released more than 200 youths who had been arrested during the nationwide demonstrations marking the second anniversary of the June 25, 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests.
Those released were granted a cash bail of Sh1,000 each, while a mother arrested together with her seven-month-old baby was unconditionally freed.
Siaya Governor James Orengo said the outcome was secured by a legal team led by Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, former Law Society of Kenya President Faith Odhiambo and other advocates.
“We commend the courts for upholding fair judgment and firmly refusing to be weaponized by the state to punish political dissent,” Orengo said, maintaining that peaceful protest is protected under the Constitution.
The allegations of missing activists come after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced that 355 people had been arrested during Thursday’s demonstrations, describing the commemorations as largely peaceful.
“I wish to report that no widespread cases of looting, vandalism, skirmishes or injuries were reported in the country in relation to today’s demonstrations,” Murkomen said.
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According to the Interior CS, Nairobi recorded the highest number of arrests at 161, followed by Kajiado with 123 and Kiambu with 36, while no arrests were reported in the Nyanza, Coast and North Eastern regions.
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