Amnesty Kenya Spokesperson Irungu Houghton has expressed concerns about the deployment of counter-terrorism tools and strategies against anti-government protesters and critics.
Speaking during an interview with a local TV station, Houghton highlighted that these tactics, initially designed for handling terrorists, are now being misapplied to peaceful demonstrators, cartoonists, and individuals with no history of violence.
“What we are finding is that counter-terrorism efforts were particularly unlawful, and people were being abducted and held. What is happening right now with J.B. Muturi is not something that has not happened before,” Houghton stated.
He emphasized that such methods, once used against dangerous terrorists, are now being employed against unarmed protestors.
“Why are we applying these methods to peaceful protesters, cartoonists, and individuals with no criminal record or history of violence?” he questioned.
Houghton also reassured citizens that Amnesty Kenya would continue advocating for justice and human rights through engagements with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
“We will continue to engage the ODPP from the position of human rights principles.”
Tactics deployed
Houghton’s remarks come against mounting public outrage over the government’s approach to managing anti-government protests, especially the Gen Z and vocal critics of the administration since June 2024.
These demonstrations, fueled by opposition to proposed tax increases and corruption, have been met with a harsh crackdown by security forces.
Authorities employed live bullets, tear gas, and water cannons to disperse protestors, resulting in multiple injuries and fatalities during the nationwide Gen Z protests.
Subsequently, reports of abductions and enforced disappearances emerged, with prominent activists and protestors being detained.
By late 2024, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) reported at least 71 cases of abductions linked to the protests. According to the commission’s findings, 26 individuals remain missing, leaving their families desperate for information about their fate. Human rights groups have described alarming accounts of detainees being confined in secret locations, subjected to torture, and denied access to legal counsel.
Adding to the controversy, Public Service Minister Justin Muturi recently revealed that his son, Leslie Muturi, was abducted by National Intelligence Service (NIS) officers.
Muturi’s son’s abduction
Recording a statement at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Muturi revealed that the abduction of his son Leslie happened on June 22, 2024, along Dennis Pritt Road.
According to the CS, Leslie, accompanied by Embakasi West MP Mark Mwenje and Marangu Imanyara, was kidnapped by hooded, armed men while heading to a birthday party in Lavington after leaving Alfajiri Lounge. Muturi immediately alerted then Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome and Interior PS Raymond Omollo, who promised investigations. However, his calls to DCI Director Mohammed Amin and NIS Director General Noordin Haji went unanswered.
“The IG assured me that all personnel on all routes had been alerted, suspecting it might have been a robbery. But I was convinced it was a police operation,” he noted.
He contacted then Interior CS Kithure Kindiki, who assured him of action. Kindiki later informed him that Haji denied any NIS role, despite Muturi’s insistence otherwise.
Seeking a resolution, Muturi went to State House and informed President William Ruto, who joked about Gen Z demonstrations and the improbability of such arrests. After hearing Muturi’s concerns, the President called Haji, who confirmed Leslie’s detention.
“Standing outside the pavilion, I heard the president ask Haji if he was holding my son. Noordin confirmed that indeed he was holding my son, and the president instructed him to release Leslie immediately,” Muturi narrated.
