NAIROBI, Kenya- Amnesty International Kenya has called on the government to move beyond presidential assurances and take concrete steps to investigate enforced disappearances, establish the whereabouts of missing people and hold those responsible to account.
The call was made on Sunday, August 30, 2026, as the world marked the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. Amnesty said the government must also provide effective reparations to victims and their families.
The rights organisation welcomed President William Ruto’s recent remarks that no Kenyan should lose their life, liberty or dignity for criticising the government, expressing an unpopular opinion or participating in a peaceful demonstration.
However, Amnesty said the President’s statements must be followed by concrete action.
“The Constitution is clear: human rights are not privileges granted by those in power. They are rights guaranteed to every person,” Amnesty said, pointing to constitutional protections against arbitrary deprivation of freedom, torture and other forms of ill-treatment.
According to data cited by Amnesty from the Missing Voices Coalition, 19 cases of enforced disappearance and 69 police killings have been recorded in Kenya so far in 2026.
In 2025, six cases of enforced disappearance were documented alongside 125 cases of police killings, according to the same data.
Amnesty also raised concerns over the status of victims identified through the government’s reparations process.
On June 15, 2026, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights presented a national reparations framework and report at State House in Nairobi. The report included 35 verified cases of enforced disappearance linked to recent security operations and protests.
Amnesty said victims of enforced disappearance had yet to receive reparations under the process established by the government to compensate people affected by violations during protests.
The organisation said the cases should not be treated merely as statistics, arguing that every disappearance leaves families searching for answers while creating lasting social and emotional consequences.
Amnesty has called for every allegation of enforced disappearance to be investigated independently, impartially and transparently, including cases reported during the 2024 protests and subsequent periods.
It also wants the government to disclose the fate and whereabouts of people subjected to enforced disappearance and ensure that anyone unlawfully detained is either released or promptly brought before an independent court.
The organisation further called for prosecution of anyone suspected of criminal responsibility where sufficient evidence exists, regardless of their rank or position.
Amnesty wants stronger accountability within security agencies so that responsibility does not end with junior officers while those who allegedly authorised, facilitated or concealed violations escape scrutiny.
It also urged the government to strengthen institutions including the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Internal Affairs Unit.
The organisation called on Kenya to ratify and domesticate the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and recognise the competence of the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances to receive individual complaints.
With Kenya heading towards the 2027 General Election, Amnesty said the government must ensure political dissent, peaceful demonstrations and criticism of the government are not met with arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture or excessive force.
The organisation said President Ruto’s commitment to protecting constitutional freedoms will ultimately be judged by how the State responds when Kenyans exercise those rights.
Amnesty International Kenya Executive Director George Morara signed the statement, which concluded with a call for truth, justice and accountability for victims and their families.
