Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has called on Kenyans to stand together and assist each other during the ongoing anti-government protests, which have been marred by kidnappings and killings.
In a statement shared on his X account just hours after the protests on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, Owino urged citizens to take action against the rising abductions.
Owino urged Kenyans to remain vigilant and actively intervene during abductions.
He emphasized the importance of not being passive bystanders, but instead, taking immediate and decisive action to stop these crimes.
Owino called on citizens to use whatever means available to protect one another and to confront the abductors.
He stressed the necessity of collective action to ensure the safety of all Kenyans and curb the rise of daylight abductions during the ongoing protests.
“Kenyans, we must stop broad daylight abductions by acting with an equal and opposite force that the thugs are using on our people. Don’t see a fellow Kenyan being abducted and keep calm, please ACT. Use anything around you and save a fellow Kenyan. Let’s deal with the abductors,” Owino stated.
Abductions and killings in Kenya
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has also called for thorough investigations into recent tragic events in Kenya, including the discovery of mutilated bodies and ongoing protests.
On July 16, 2024, KNCHR expressed shock and concern over the finding of dismembered bodies at the Kware dumpsite in Nairobi’s Mukuru Kwa Njenga, where a suspect confessed to killing 42 women, though only ten bodies have been recovered.
KNCHR condemned the murders and extended condolences to the victims’ families, urging for investigations to follow the Minnesota Protocol to ensure a comprehensive inquiry into the deaths.
The Commission also addressed the protests against the government, reporting 50 deaths and hundreds of injuries, calling for investigations into these fatalities and instances of police brutality.
Additionally, KNCHR condemned abductions, arbitrary arrests, and torture related to the protests, with 59 people missing and 682 arbitrarily arrested.
They urged the President to enforce a zero-tolerance policy against human rights violations by security agencies and called on Parliament and the Treasury to fund investigations into extrajudicial killings and involuntary deaths.