Sing’oei warned the government against the use of extra-judicial means to arrest individuals no matter who they are or the circumstances involved.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary, Kipkorir (Korir) Sing’oei criticised the government for the high number of arbitrary arrests and abductions reported since the nationwide demonstrations against the Finance Bill 2024 began.
The PS took to X to react to a video of former Nandi Hills Member of Parliament, Alfred Keter being abducted by individuals in plain clothes reported to be police officers, poking holes into how he was taken in front of his immediate family.
Sing’oei warned the government against the use of extra-judicial means to arrest individuals no matter who they are or the circumstances involved.
A screengrab of abduction of former Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter by police officers. /VIRAL TEA KE
“There is a procedure for effecting an arrest. This is not one of them. We must resist the temptation to adopt extra-legal means even in the pursuit of legitimate objectives,” he wrote.
Arbitrary or unlawful detention occurs when an individual is arrested and detained by a government without due process and without the legal protections of a fair trial, or when an individual is detained without any legal basis for the deprivation of liberty.
Arbitrary arrests and detention are intimidation tactics used by governments to suppress dissent.
As per the viral video which led to the PS’s comments, Keter was forced out of his black Landcruiser V8 by police officers just as he was leaving the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Kileleshwa, Nairobi.
At least four police officers were seen bundling him into a white pickup truck with sirens, while curious onlookers watched and recorded the event.
Keter, along with his wife and children, were heard screaming as he was taken away to an undisclosed location, leaving behind the legislator’s family in his vehicle.
Several leaders including Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino accused the Kenya police of allegedly being responsible for the abduction.
On Wednesday, June 26, President William Ruto poured cold water on the recently reported cases of abductions, reiterating that his administration was still committed to ensuring that there were no extrajudicial killings in the country.
Former Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter. /NTV