By Edu Abade
No fewer than 10 human rights groups across Africa have condemned the continued crackdown on peaceful protests and the abduction and detention of individuals suspected by the government of President William Ruto of spearheading resistance against his economic policies and police brutality.
Growing discontent about the government policies led to peaceful protests in June 2024 when the government of Ruto proposed tax increases that had controversial clauses rejected by young Kenyans who used social media platforms as a tool of mobilization.
Although the Kenyan Parliament amended the bill, removing some controversial clauses, it was still passed, leading to nationwide protests and heavy clashes with security forces. Protests at the Parliament buildings were forcefully repressed by the police leading to at least 22 deaths. Since then Kenyan security services have been accused of abducting, torturing and extra judicially murdering citizens suspected of being the leaders of the anti-government protests.
The latest incident was on June 27, 2025 when three human rights defenders-Mark Amani, Mulungwa Nzau and Mutunge Mwangi were abducted by security forces while travelling to the coastal city of Mombasa on a routine work trip on a bus.
Their bus was reported to have been intercepted by police from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation and they were arrested and detained at a police station in Nairobi on grounds that they were involved in planning and organizing the violence and looting that took place on the fringes of the June 25th protests against police brutality and government policies in Nairobi and other cities.
On Monday June 30, 2025 they were arraigned in court and without any formal charges, the prosecution sought to detain them for a further 21 days to ‘facilitate investigations’ The prosecution alleges, without any facts, that they were involved in arson, house breakages and looting. The ruling on their further detention is on Wednesday July 2nd 2025.
The trio are known Human Rights Defenders involved with many grassroots social justice movements including the Kongamano La Mageuzi and there are numerous videos and photos of them peacefully participating in the June 25th protests. It is clear from footage on social media and the mainstream media that the looting and carnage was carried out by armed gangs recruited by politicians allied to the ruling party and protected by the police. On June 24th, Kenya Television Network and The Standard Newspaper published an expose of politicians and officials of the Kenya Kwanza Coalition planning the arming and deployment of the armed gangs in order to discredit the protestors. The detention of the trio comes in the wake of an ongoing crackdown against civic society organizations in Kenya with daily reports of abductions, summons by police and detentions all over the country.
The arrest and prosecution of the trio, without any formal charges and the attempt by the state to detain them for an extended period is an attempt to silence them and stop them and other Kenyans from exercising their freedom of speech, conscience and association.
Human rights groups across Africa are in solidarity with Kenyans at this particular time when the country seems to be entering a particularly dark period of increased repression, gross abuse of human rights and a rapidly shrinking political and civic space.
In a statement issued on Tuesday July 1, 2025, the groups demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Mark Amiani, Mulingwa Nzau and Mutunge Mwangi and an end to their detention and prosecution.
The statement was endorsed by Philip Jakpor, Executive Director, Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), Nigeria, Ruth Mumbi, Women Collective Kenya (WCK), Odhiambo Oyoko , Forum for Civic Participation in Governance (FCPG), Kenya, Aderonke Ige, Help Initiative for Social Justice and Humanitarian Development, Nigeria and Chisom Eze of Community Action Movement.
Others are Barrister Chima Williams of Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN), Nigeria, Marcela Olivera, Blue Planet Project, Bolivia, Richard Benin, Community Development Advocacy Foundation (CODAF), Nigeria and Florence Ifeanyi-Aneke, New-Life Community Care Initiative (NELCCI).
They equally demanded full accountability and an independent investigation by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) into police violence and misconduct including collusion with armed gangs to infiltrate peaceful protests and cause mayhem, violence and looting.
The groups also asked for an independent international commission to investigate the spate of abductions and murders of human rights defenders, bloggers and social justice activists adding that state members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) should refer the situation in Kenya to the International ICC prosecutor for serious crimes.
On its part, the Africa Water Justice Network urged the Government of Kenya to immediately release the three detained comrades, all other protesters in custody and to end harassments and intimidation of human rights defenders while calling on regional and global movements to add their voices in solidarity and all people of conscience to remain vigilant and stand together across borders, in defense of freedom, justice and human dignity.
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