NAIROBI, Kenya – In a show of solidarity, former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga will escort three prominent activists to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters on Monday.
This move comes amid a troubling surge in abductions of vocal protestors and content creators against the Finance Bill, 2024.
Mutunga is set to accompany activists Boniface Mwangi, Hanifa Adan, and Haki Africa Executive Director Hussein Khalid to the DCI offices.
The group is scheduled to appear at the Kiambu Road based headquarters at 11 am.
This development follows a series of abductions targeting individuals outspoken against the Finance Bill.
Notable cases include the temporary detentions of blogger Billy Simani and Dr. Austin Omondi, also known as Japrado. While both have been released, the climate of fear remains.
On Sunday night, social media influencer Shad Khalif was abducted from Sanasana in South B, Nairobi.
His abduction was captured on CCTV footage which has since gone viral.
Witnesses reported seeing a black double-cab pickup and a white Toyota Prado trailing him before his forceful abduction.
His whereabouts are currently unknown, heightening concerns over the safety of activists.
Many activists leading the protests against the Finance Bill have reportedly gone into hiding, citing fears of being trailed and abducted by unknown individuals. These fears are not unfounded, given the recent wave of disappearances.
Boniface Mwangi, one of the activists scheduled to appear at the DCI, was detained during the first ‘Occupy Parliament’ protests last Tuesday.
He, along with two others, spent the night in police custody before being released by the Milimani court, which declared it had no jurisdiction over their case.
Mutunga’s decision to accompany the activists underscores the urgent need to address the escalating threats against those exercising their constitutional rights.
His involvement aims to draw national and international attention to the ongoing human rights violations and to demand immediate action to protect activists.
