Amnesty Kenya urges state to expedite probe into enforced disappearances

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 Amnesty International Kenya has called on the government to expedite investigations and bring justice to victims of enforced disappearance and hold perpetrators accountable.

In a statement on Sunday, while marking the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, Amnesty International Kenya said it is time for the government to move beyond acknowledgement and promises.

They called for concrete action to end enforced disappearances, establish the truth about those who have disappeared, hold perpetrators accountable and provide effective reparations to victims and their families.

The statement highlighted President William Ruto’s remarks during the commemoration of the 16th anniversary of the Constitution of Kenya, where he acknowledged the pain left by past violations; he called for ’action.’

‘’But words must now be matched with action. The Constitution is clear: human rights are not privileges granted by those in power. They are rights guaranteed to every person. Article 29 protects every person from arbitrary deprivation of freedom, torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Article 49 guarantees the rights of arrested persons, while Article 238 requires national security to be exercised in accordance with the Constitution and the law.’’

Amnesty International Kenya noted that six cases of enforced disappearance were documented in Kenya in 2025, alongside 125 cases of police killings, according to data from the Missing Voices Coalition.

The agency noted that the number of documented enforced disappearances declined from the previous year, the persistence of such cases remains deeply concerning, as 19 cases of enforced disappearance and 69 police killings have been recorded in 2026 so far.

Amnesty International Kenya further called on the government to ensure that every allegation of enforced disappearance is promptly, independently, impartially, thoroughly and transparently investigated, including all cases documented during the 2024 protests.

The agency wants the government is to disclose the fate and whereabouts of every person subjected to enforced disappearance and ensure that those still unlawfully detained are immediately released, and to also ensure victims and their families have access to truth, justice and effective remedies, including full and effective reparations for the harm suffered.

Government has also been tasked to establish effective command and individual accountability within the security agencies so that responsibility does not end with junior officers. Additionally, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), the Internal Affairs Unit and other oversight institutions have the independence, resources and institutional support necessary to investigate allegations of police abuse effectively.