The Law Society of Kenya has issued new demands to various law enforcement agencies following the release and dismissal of charges against Amnesty Kenya Executive Director Irungu Houghton and four of his co-accused.
In a joint statement with Amnesty International, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), and the Independent Medico-Legal Unit, the lawyers stated that, while the conclusion was positive, it was insufficient.
“Today, advocates for the five accused persons were informed that there was no charge sheet, and they were unconditionally released. Given the unlawful arrests and brutalisation of several protesters, this was a welcome development,” the accompanying statement read.
“We, however, note that individuals were assaulted, deprived of their liberty, arrested, and bonded to appear in court,” the statement continued.
“The practice of detaining individuals without charging them has been abused as a means to harass, intimidate, and threaten human rights defenders.”
As a result, lawyers for the four organisations are now urging the government to intervene in order to put an end to arbitrary arrests and abductions by holding those responsible accountable.
To begin, they urged that the Inspector General of Police review police methods and promote nonviolent interactions with protestors.
“It must be unequivocally reaffirmed that reasonable three-day notice, once given, is sufficient to enable Kenyans to exercise their rights under the law,” they stressed in the statement.
They also urged the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to immediately investigate the actions of police personnel who openly violate the law by operating in plainclothes without identification, particularly during demonstrations.
They urged that the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) speed investigations into the officers implicated and make their results public without delay.
Finally, they encouraged the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to file charges against individual officers involved in the violations, ensuring that superior officers are held accountable for command errors.
Police officers fired tear gas onto protestors, and others allegedly assaulted and arrested nonviolent protestors.
On December 10, the event occurred during the women’s march, which marked the conclusion of 16 days of activity against gender-based violence.
According to the joint statement, ten people were wrongfully arrested, five of whom were charged with participating in an “unlawful assembly,” while the others were unconditionally freed.
The incident was condemned not only by Kenyans but also by international groups, with the United States, via its Kenyan Embassy, describing it as unfortunate and troubling.
