AfriPulse
Activists and human rights defenders gave the government a 24-hour ultimatum to produce Davis Lichuma, a Mathare-based social justice activist who disappeared on June 25 during commemorations marking the anniversary of the Gen Z protests. They warned that if the authorities fail to comply, they will spark a new wave of street demonstrations on Tuesday.
The demands were delivered during a press briefing at the Mathare Ghetto Foundation, where community members, the families of the missing, and prominent rights advocates gathered to denounce what they described as a growing pattern of enforced disappearances targeting activists in the Mathare area.
Lichuma, who belongs to the Social Justice Centre, attended the June 25 maandamano commemorations when he was reportedly taken into custody. His mother, Margaret Lichuma, told journalists that her son visited home on June 24 and asked her to pray for him, noting that his involvement in the protests put him at serious personal risk.
“On June 25 I was told Lichuma had been arrested. Yesterday I was told to go and file a report at Pangani,” she said, adding that others arrested alongside him had since been released, which has intensified her concerns about his whereabouts. She also revealed that her son had a pre-existing stab wound on his abdomen, raising further questions about his health and whether he has received medical care.
The briefing also highlighted the cases of at least three other missing individuals.
Maximilian, known as Maxy, disappeared on June 20 after neighbors said CCTV footage showed a numberplate-less vehicle picking him up outside his gate as he prepared to leave for work. His mother told the press conference that she spoke to him by phone shortly before he went silent.
“It has been eight days. We want our children back,” she said.
A third person, identified only as Zizo, was reportedly taken on June 23 by men driving a double-cabin vehicle near a parcel of land he had recently purchased.
Human rights activist Hussein Khalid said the abductions follow a disturbing pattern and point to state involvement.
“We know Davis Lichuma has been a member of the Social Justice Centre. He was taken in clear violation of his rights. We know those who took them are police,” Khalid said. He said that Kenya should not function as a police state and that officers cannot break the law with impunity.
Salim, a phone repair technician and an MCA aspirant in Kiamaiko, also testified about alleged police extortion, describing what he said happened at his workplace. He told the briefing that armed men arrived in a Tiguan, seized five phones, and threatened to kill him before demanding Ksh. 100,000.
Salim said he negotiated the amount down to Ksh. 60,000 and paid it to secure his release.
“They told me, ‘Even if you don’t have a mistake, we can get one. They also told me today you can have a date with City Mortuary,” he said, adding that the threats left him fearing for his life.
Former Chief Justice David Maraga, who attended the briefing in solidarity, sharply criticized the government. He said the disappearances reflected a wider trend of disregarding the constitution.
“We have a government that does not listen to its people, does not respect the constitution, and does not respect the law. Why should police hide their faces? Why conceal their identity?” Maraga said.
He dismissed government compensation as an insufficient response to killings and disappearances connected to last year’s protests. He argued that Kenyans would not accept a situation in which the same government that authorized violence against citizens then sought to pay compensation using taxpayers’ money.
“The death of over 120 people and abductions will not go without protest. Compensation will not help. We want our children,” he said.
Community organiser Olal said enforced disappearances in Mathare have surged in recent weeks, with at least four people going missing in the past month alone. He accused the police of changing tactics, moving from extrajudicial killings to enforced disappearances.
“Mathare must be a safe space for everyone. We are not at peace. We are giving the police and the government 24 hours to produce Lichuma. Failure to which, this country will not be governable,” Olal said.
Source: NairobiWire.com | Read the Full Story…
