PRESS STATEMENT: ACCOUNT FOR THE WHEREABOUTS OF DAVIS LICHUMA, FREDRICK OJIRO, AND SIX OTHERS
The Social Justice Centres Working Group (SJCWG) expresses its profound concern over the unknown whereabouts of Davis Lichuma, Fredrick Ojiro, and four other individuals who were reportedly arrested by police during the Thursday protests and initially detained at Central Police Station.
Whereas some of those arrested were subsequently presented before court, Davis Lichuma, Fredrick Ojiro, and the four others were not produced, and their families, legal representatives, and the public have not been informed of their whereabouts or legal status.
This lack of transparency is deeply troubling and raises serious concerns regarding their safety, security, and constitutional rights. We are particularly alarmed by the situation of Davis Lichuma, who has previously been subjected to repeated arbitrary arrests and has allegedly endured torture while in police custody. In light of this history, the continued silence by the police places his life and the lives of the others at significant risk.
The National Police Service has a constitutional and legal obligation to protect every person in its custody and to ensure that arrested persons are promptly presented before a court of law or released in accordance with the law. Any failure to account for individuals last seen in police custody raises the spectre of enforced disappearance and other serious human rights violations.
The Social Justice Centres Working Group therefore demands that the National Police Service and the Inspector General of Police immediately disclose the whereabouts and legal status of Davis Lichuma, Fredrick Ojiro, and the four other missing individuals within 24 hours of this statement. Should the police fail to account for them within this period, we shall hold the Inspector General of Police personally and institutionally accountable for any harm suffered by these individuals while under State custody or control.
We further call upon 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 urgently intervene and ensure that the rights, safety, and lives of these individuals are protected. The Constitution of Kenya guarantees every person’s right to liberty, due process, freedom from torture, and protection against arbitrary detention. These guarantees must not be rendered meaningless through secrecy and impunity.
The question remains simple and urgent: Where are Davis Lichuma, Fredrick Ojiro, and the four others? The police must answer now.
Issued by:
Social Justice Centres Working Group (SJCWG)