Kenyan President William Ruto addressed a press conference in Nairobi, Kenya, in July, where he declared government spending cuts following protests against the proposed finance bill. This move came after the bill sparked deadly demonstrations against his administration in June, leading to accusations of disproportionate police force and over 60 deaths.
A coalition of European governments expressed worry on Thursday about reports of arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances in Kenya, as the country prepares to join the UN Human Rights Council. Kenya, typically one of the more stable nations in the region, has experienced recent unrest due to the controversial finance bill.
Rights groups claim that dozens of individuals went missing or were arrested without proper legal process in the weeks following the protests, often seized openly from streets or homes. The embassies of nine Western countries—Britain, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland—issued a joint statement expressing their concerns.
The statement highlighted ongoing reports of arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances, emphasizing the importance of ensuring the rule of law and calling for swift and transparent investigations. The group also congratulated Kenya on its recent election to the UN Human Rights Council, where it will begin a three-year term in January.
Kenyan police have frequently been accused of operating hit squads targeting activists, lawyers, and government critics. In October 2022, Ruto disbanded a police unit linked to disappearances and extrajudicial killings, promising to reform the security sector. However, the recent wave of arrests and disappearances has sparked fears of renewed human rights abuses.
Missing Voices, a campaign group focused on extrajudicial killings in Kenya, reports at least 1,350 police-related deaths and 350 enforced disappearances since it started collecting data in 2017.
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