Where is Lichuma? Rights group gives police 24 hours to produce detained activist

The Social Justice Centres Working Group (SJCWG) has called on the National Police Service and the Inspector General of Police to disclose the whereabouts of activist Davis Lichuma.

In a statement Saturday, the group demanded that authorities produce Lichuma, who was arrested on Thursday outside Parliament during protests marking the second anniversary of the June 25 demos.

"Should the police fail to account for him within 24 hours, we shall hold the Inspector General personally and institutionally accountable for any harm," the statement read.

The group said it was "particularly alarmed" by Lichuma's situation, citing what it described as a history of repeated arbitrary arrests and alleged torture while in police custody. "The continued silence by police places his life at risk," it said.

The human rights group further accused authorities of failing to present Lichuma to his family or disclose his location.

It also condemned the arrest of five other activists, all of whom were released today morning at various locations across Nairobi.

The Social Justice Working Group has now called on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), civil society organizations, and the international community to intervene and protect human rights defenders.

"The Constitution of Kenya guarantees every person's right to liberty, due process, freedom from torture, and protection against arbitrary detention," the statement said. "These guarantees must not be rendered meaningless through secrecy and impunity."

The five other activists arrested alongside Lichuma on Thursday were identified as Fedrick Odhiambo Ojiro, Michael Ngige also known as Jomo Kenyatta Junior, Muteti Mulinge, Collins Ochieng, and Elijah Alam.

The LSK and several civil society groups also condemned the arrests Thursday. LSK President Charles Kanjama criticised police for what he called a collective punishment approach to detaining demonstrators.

"This approach to collective arrest and collective punishment seems to have become increasingly common," Kanjama said. He added that the LSK had deployed volunteer lawyers to courts where protesters were expected to be charged, to provide free legal representation.”

According to Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, at least 355 people were arrested during Thursday’s demonstrations.

More than 200 were presented at various courts yesterday, Friday and charged with traffic-related offences including obstructing vehicles on the roads.