KNCHR says 60 people dead, 66 missing amid anti-Gov't protests

The number of lives lost in the last five weeks of anti-government protests has risen to 60, nine days since the Constitutional Commission put the figure at 50.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), in its latest report, says 66 persons are missing.

KNCHR also noted the emergence of pro-government groups on motorcycles who on Tuesday appeared well coordinated and under the wing of police.

In the intervening period, the number of those reported as abducted or missing has gone up from 59 to 66 while the number of those arrested has gone up from 682 to 1,376.

The numbers increase even as President William Ruto on Wednesday said: “I urge the criminal justice agencies to take effective measures and ensure that people who may have been innocently caught up on the wrong side of proceedings, and those not implicated in crimes are released and the charges against them withdrawn.

This will enable the agencies to focus their resources, efforts and time on investigating and prosecuting serious criminal elements who took advantage of peaceful demonstrations to advance a dangerous agenda."

The Commission made several observations, as concerns mount over the abduction of protesters by masked men in civilian clothes and unmarked cars.

On Thursday, protesters attempted to unmask these men when their peaceful march, in memory of those killed by police, was violently dispersed by the very same police.

The Commission in its report noted on Tuesday noted: “In Nairobi Outering road and Kitengela seven unmarked Subaru Outback saloon vehicles with officers in civilian were spotted providing cover to the anti-riot police."

"The police are clearly breaking the law. The police, even those in uniform, are not displaying their name tags and service numbers. And secondly, those who are in civilian clothing are also putting on hoodies and you cannot tell who they are. We as an authority are suspecting that there is a specific unit that is being sent out there apart from the ordinary deployment to go and commit atrocities,” said IPOA Commissioner John Waiganjo.

KNCHR also took note of pro-government boda boda riders who appeared well coordinated and facilitated and who, unlike other protesters, appeared to enjoy the protection of the police.

It stated that it spotted a fleet of motorcycles fueling at Rubis Petrol Station at the Junction of Haille Sellasie Avenue and Uhuru Highway under the watch of the police.

They then converged at Uhuru Park where they seemed to be receiving instructions from some leaders before proceeding to the City Center.

A similar group on boda bodas and who called themselves 'Vijana wa serikali' were captured on CCTV footage forcing their way to human rights activist Boniface Mwangi's Sema Ukweli offices on Saturday.