Following President William Ruto’s public declaration that his government will release all those abducted, the Law Society of Kenya, Medics 4 Kenya and Police Reforms Working Group call on the National Police Service to immediately release Billy Mwangi, Peter Muteti, Bernard Kavuli, Gideon Kibet, Ronny Kiplangat, Steve Kavingo and all others abducted and still being held since last week.
Under Article 29 and 49 of the Constitution of Kenya, the Government has a duty to guarantee the freedom and security of all individuals and to present anyone arrested before a court of law within 24 hours. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Judiciary are advised to discharge all individuals detained through unlawful arrests to protect individual rights against arbitrary state action.
With several public announcements that citizens plan mass protests in solidarity with those currently being unlawfully held, we remind the State of their obligation to protect the safety of protesters and the public as Kenyans express their views under Article 33 and Article 37.
Our organisations have deployed monitors across several counties where solidarity marches have been announced. We are documenting any excessive use of police force and violence, attacks on journalists and health-workers and the unlawful use of non-uniformed officers and counter protesters.
In line with Article 37, we call on those exercising their constitutional rights to remain peaceful, avoid violence and the destruction of public or private property. Emergency health personnel will be based outside Hilton Hotel in Nairobi CBD. As first responders, they will treat any protester, police-officer or member of the public that may be hurt. We call on the police service to facilitate and protect health-workers to play this neutral role.
Lawyers have been dispatched to most locations to represent protesters who are subjected to arbitrary arrests and have remained non-violent and peaceful on a case-by-case basis. We urge the National Police Service to avoid all use of excessive force, intimidation and arbitrary arrest of Kenyans. We will hold specific individual police officers (in or out of uniform), their commanders and the Government accountable for human rights abuses that violate our laws.
The following helplines are available for the public to report crimes or to seek assistance.
| Kenya National Commission on Human Rights | 0800720627 |
| Law Society of Kenya | 0800720434 |
| Defenders Coalition | 0716200100 |
| Medics4Kenya | 0711911911 / 0712911911 |
| Independent Policing Oversight Authority Toll Free | 1559 |