Kenya: Missing Voices Releases 2021 Findings

Missing Voices has documented 219 cases of police killings and enforced disappearances in Kenya for the year 2021.

The coalition of human rights organisations, in the report titled Delayed Justice, noted that those most vulnerable to police killings in Kenya are men from informal settlements between the ages 18 and 35.

Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) in Kenya face innumerable threats from security agencies when they pursue cases of police killings and enforced disappearances, the report noted.

Data from the report also shows that Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, has the highest incidences of police killings, while Mombasa, was the city most affected by enforced disappearances.

‘In 2021, Missing Voices documented 219 cases of police killings and enforced disappearances as a result of 161 separate incidents. 36 were cases of EDs and four were found dead more than 24 hours after disappearing in police custody. Along with these four, Missing Voices documented 187 cases of police killings’, the report read.

‘In most cases, police justified their killings by tagging their victims “criminals” killed during “anti-crime” operations. However, after investigating some cases, Missing Voices found evidence highlighting discrepancies within the police reports.

‘Although females are not as susceptible to being killed by police, Missing Voices noted an increase in female victims in 2021 in comparison to 2019 and 2020.

‘Whereas males are most likely to be killed during “anti-crime” operations, the majority of females are killed during “personal-alterations” resulting in gender-based violence attacks’.

The report called for the enactment of a law on enforced disappearances or amend existing legislation to criminalise enforced disappearances.

The report also called on the judiciary to expedite and finalise the cases of enforced disappearances, police killings before the courts.

Further recommendations include the need for the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT).

Source: Missing Voices

Photo source: Global Panorama

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
WhatsApp

About the Author