By Yvonne Idamano
Article11.
The past month has been marked by widespread unrest in Kenya, with citizens passionately
advocating for a better nation. Tragically, this activism has come at a high cost; many individuals
have lost their lives during protests, while others have been found murdered—often discovered
after having participated in demonstrations. Numerous people have also been arrested, or more
accurately, abducted, with those released sharing harrowing accounts of the torture they endured
while in custody. Disturbingly, many citizens remain missing, their fates unknown, and are now
feared dead.
As a nation, we once believed that we had transitioned from being democratic dwarfs to giants,
showcasing political maturity where citizens could freely express dissatisfaction in peaceful
ways. However, the recent killings, arrests, and abductions starkly contradict this notion of a free
democracy—a democracy that countless activists fought hard to achieve, often at great personal
cost. During the recent protests, several prominent figures from the digital community were
taken, often by plainclothes men later identified as DCI officers. Chilling videos of these
abductions circulated online, showing individuals being forcefully taken into unmarked vehicles
and driven away to unknown locations. Many of these victims were later found at police stations,
having been subjected to interrogations and, in some cases, torture. This conduct is nothing short
of disgraceful.
While these abductions unfolded, reports of missing citizens surged. Some of whom have since
been discovered dead. One particularly tragic case involved a university student whose body was
found dumped in a dam, showing signs of torture. Families of the missing live in a state of
anguish, hoping each day that their loved ones will return alive rather than as corpses. The
reported deaths since the protests began—nearly 60—are alarming. Lives were lost during street
protests, notably during the ‘occupy parliament’ demonstration, where a sniper shot protesters
live on television as they approached the parliament grounds. Armed only with phones, the
national flag, and a bottle of water, these peaceful protesters posed no threat yet were gunned
down mercilessly. No one should have to lose their life for participating in such demonstrations.
Adding to this grim narrative is the recent discovery of bodies found dumped in a quarry in
Kware, Embakasi, Nairobi. The bodies, primarily of women, were recovered in sacks,
gruesomely dismembered, with the motives behind these killings still unclear. Were these
individuals targeted for protesting, or were there other underlying reasons for their deaths?
Regardless, justice must be pursued for the victims and their grieving families.
It is disheartening to acknowledge that those sworn to protect our lives have become the
perpetrators of violence against us- and, thus far, have evaded accountability for their actions.
The sanctity of life is an invaluable human right that must be respected. Only the creator of life
should have the authority to take it away. This is a plea to those in power to honour and
safeguard our lives, as we each have but one to live.
