Group records 34 disappearances, 11 deaths linked to police

At least 34 people have allegedly disappeared in the hands of security forces and 11 bodies of people previously arrested by state agents found within the past two years. This is according to a new report by the International Human Rights Watch on deaths and disappearances arising from the counter-terrorism operations in Kenya’s North Eastern and Nairobi regions.

The disappearance and subsequent death of lawyer Willie Kimani, his client and their taxi driver may have just been a tip of the iceberg on the growing cases of alleged extrajudicial killings in the country.

According to the report, the disappearance in the hands of the Kenya Defence Forces, Anti-Terrorism Police as well as the Regular and Administration Police, growing particularly in the North Eastern where counterterrorism operations kicked off in 2013 following the Westgate and Garissa University College attacks.

The Human Rights Watch has documented 34 missing people in the counties of Wajir, Garissa and Mandera.

Ken Roth, the executive director of the group noted: “Frankly, we fear that this is just the tip of the iceberg.”

In other cases, bodies of people previously arrested by state actors have been found. 11 such cases, including Abdi Wahab Nur who was arrested in Mandera on April 22nd and found dead 5 days later, have been documented. The whereabouts of people arrested together with him, remain unknown.

“The people who arrested Abdi Wahab together with his colleagues were four, driving an APC and a military tanker and were dressed in military uniform,” added Roth.

 “President Uhuru Kenyatta and his government, we ask that they acknowledge the seriousness of the problem. That they condemn it and take immediate steps to stop it.”

The Human Rights Watch believes the answer to the terrorism threat, would be to arrest suspects, charge them and try them in court.

“This abusive approach to fighting terrorism is utterly counterproductive, needless to say if communities feel security forces just pick people off the streets and they disappear forever, this breeds animosity in those communities which is exactly what Al Shabaab wants, it creates a breeding ground for terrorism, rather than undermine terrorists.”