NAIROBI, Kenya- What was meant to be a solemn call for justice turned into chaos and terror on Sunday afternoon, after a gang of about 50 masked men armed with rungus and pickaxes stormed the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) offices in Nairobi.
The attackers disrupted a press conference organized by grieving Kenyan mothers, human rights defenders, and journalists ahead of the highly anticipated Saba Saba March for Our Lives.
The gathering aimed to demand accountability for state-linked violence, including killings, abductions, and disappearances.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the Police Reforms Working Group (PRWG) have strongly condemned the assault, describing it as “a grave assault on Kenya’s constitutional freedoms and democratic principles.”
Unacceptable! Absolutely unacceptable. They’ve sent goons to disrupt mothers’ press conference. Then they call protestors anarchists?What will happen if the people decide to defend themselves against these goons?I can assure you @NPSOfficial_KE and @DCI_Kenya will do nothing
According to eyewitnesses, the masked assailants issued threats and physically forced the group of nearly 100—including mothers, children, and members of the local and international press—to flee the premises.
Their objective was clear: silence the voices of pain, resistance, and accountability.
“This was not just an attack on individuals. It was an attack on truth, justice, and the memory of the fallen,” said a human rights advocate who narrowly escaped the scene.
Among the attendees were families of victims of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances—many still searching for answers.
This press conference was to be their moment to speak, to plead for peace, and to call for de-escalation of the rising violence across the country. Instead, they were met with brute force.
The incident comes just a day after Ugandan human rights expert and KHRC Programme Advisor Martin Mavenjina was deported, raising even more alarm bells over a coordinated campaign to paralyze Kenya’s civil society movement.
“We’re witnessing a dangerous return to state-sanctioned intimidation tactics,” said the PRWG in a joint statement with LSK.
“The attack on journalists is especially chilling. A free press is a cornerstone of any democracy.”
The use of armed goons to suppress the voices of the people as they agitate for a better society and country is out of order. The evolution of the deployment of goons from political gatherings to peaceful demonstrations and now to press conferences and public engagements is a
The groups have now called on the Inspector General of Police and all relevant security agencies to immediately:
- Condemn and investigate the attack
- Apprehend the perpetrators regardless of political affiliation
- Guarantee the safety of journalists, human rights defenders, and all citizens exercising their constitutional rights
A Mother’s Cry Silenced
The most heart-wrenching element of Sunday’s attack was the presence of traumatized mothers and children—many of whom have already endured unimaginable loss.
“These women came carrying nothing but photos of their sons. They left running for their lives,” one witness told Y News.
As Kenya marks another Saba Saba Day—a moment born out of resistance to tyranny—questions now arise: What kind of government turns a deaf ear to grieving mothers?
Who benefits from silencing the press and civil society?
The Law Society of Kenya and the Police Reforms Working Group have vowed to pursue justice.
But the real question is: Will the state listen, or will the silence grow louder—beaten down by the sound of boots and rungus?
