Account by Bob Njagi, Aslam Longton and Jamil Longton
We, Bob Njagi and Aslam Longton, were abducted on August 19, 2024, and forcibly held incommunicado for 32 days following our participation in multiple demonstrations against economic policies that we believed would further burden Kenyans. Jamil Longton was forcefully disappeared as he prevented the capture of his brother, Aslam.
During our captivity, we were subjected to torture by security agents simply for advocating progressive economic reforms and better governance. Although we were released on September 20, 2024, we have since lived in constant fear of further enforced disappearances and persecution by the state.
Many activists who, like us, were forcibly disappeared have been found dead, while countless others remain missing. For months, we have agonized over whether to publicly share the threats we continue to face since our release.
Today, we choose to speak out—not just for ourselves but to protect other Kenyans at risk of experiencing the same horrors. By raising our voices, we hope to deter this regime from targeting pro-democracy advocates.
Since our release, we have been trailed by individuals we strongly believe are security agents. On January 5, 2025, at 6 am, I, Njagi, noticed a black Subaru Outback with registration number KDP 044J and tinted windows trailing me during my morning run in Kitengela.
Alarmed, I sought help from a security guard at a petrol station along Namanga Road. When I alerted the guard, the vehicle sped off. Initially, I thought it was an isolated incident. However, the exact vehicle continued trailing me throughout Kitengela, making it clear this was a coordinated operation.
For days, the car was parked near my workplace, with two occupants—a man and a woman—inside at all times. The exact vehicle was also seen surveilling Jamil and Aslam.
On multiple occasions, the car was stationed outside their home with its engine running and headlights on for extended periods, mostly around 10 pm. When the Longton brothers confronted the occupants, they sped away.
On January 29, we reported these surveillance incidents to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) at Kitengela police station and obtained OB numbers 44/19/1/2025 and 55/29/1/2025. However, as Aslam, in the presence of Jamil, was reporting the surveillance, a police officer at the station assaulted him. This incident was reported to the OCS of Kitengela police station and the Kajiado county police commander, but no action has been taken.
Still, the officers have not taken any meaningful action to ensure our safety, even as the threat remains evident. As survivors of enforced disappearances, we know the state is targeting us because we are witnesses to the ongoing enforced disappearances and subsequent torture and trauma.
We have already lost Justus Mutumwa and Martin Mwau—both witnesses to these enforced disappearances, torture and trauma. Mutumwa and Mwau were forcibly disappeared in Mlolongo between December 16 and 17, and their bodies, bearing signs of torture, were later found at Nairobi Funeral Home on January 30.
Meanwhile, Steve Mbisi and Kalani Mwema, who also forcefully disappeared from Mlolongo, remain missing.
Account by Dancan Kyalo, brother to the late Justus Mutumwa
When my brother, Justus Mutumwa, was forcibly disappeared, I reported the incident to the DCI offices in Athi River and was issued OB number 23/21/12/2024.
Determined to seek justice, I spoke out publicly, demanding his release. Shortly after, I began receiving numerous threatening calls, including from 0714029434, warning me to stop pursuing the case.
The caller warned me that I would also be forcefully disappeared. I soon realized I was being followed—both on foot and by vehicles, often at night—by individuals I strongly suspected were security officers.
This surveillance intensified as the court date approached on January 30, when Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja and Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin were due to account for my brother’s whereabouts.
Fearing for my safety, I had no choice but to relocate and live in constant fear of further retaliation.
I am devastated by the tragic end to my brother’s search. On January 30, shortly after Kanja and Amin appeared in court, we found his body at the Nairobi Funeral Home.
His forehead had deep cuts, his eyes had been pierced, and his lips were cut. His wrists bore visible marks, indicating they had been tightly bound.
Account by Monicah Mwende, sister to Kalani Mwema
When my brother was forcibly disappeared from Mlolongo on December 17, I reported the incident at the Mlolongo police station and was issued OB number 47/26/12/24.
Despite my efforts, the search for him remained unsuccessful. On January 30, I received a call from 0778234970 and someone who claimed to be a police officer.
He told me that my brother was in Lamu and would be released that night. However, he also warned me to keep this information to myself or risk my brother ending up in a morgue.
Holding onto hope, I waited for his release. At 10 pm, I tried calling the officer, but his phone was off. An hour later, he called back, assuring me that my brother would be freed at midnight. But midnight came and went, and my brother was never released.
Legal protection
History has shown that witnesses in cases implicating state and public officers are often executed extrajudicially to silence them.
We believe efforts may be underway to present cases at the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding these enforced disappearances and systematic attacks on civilians—acts that amount to crimes against humanity.
The state appears intent on eliminating witnesses to obstruct any legal proceedings. As it stands, Kenya’s justice system has failed to investigate and prosecute these violations.
Kenya’s constitution and international treaties to which the country is a party provide strong legal protections against enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the suppression of civic space.
These legal frameworks uphold the fundamental rights to life, security, freedom of expression, and peaceful assembly, all of which have been repeatedly violated in the ongoing crackdown on pro-democracy activists.
The constitution of Kenya guarantees the right to life under Article 26, stating that no person shall be deprived of life. The enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings of activists by security forces directly violate this constitutional safeguard.
Furthermore, Article 29 protects the right to freedom and security of the person, prohibiting arbitrary detention, torture, and any form of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. Enforced disappearances, such as those experienced by many activists, are apparent breaches of this provision.
Additionally, the constitution upholds freedoms essential to democratic participation. Article 33 guarantees freedom of expression, while Article 36 and Article 37 protect the rights to association, peaceful assembly, and demonstration.
The state’s actions—intimidating, forcefully disappearing and surveilling activists—are unconstitutional and undermine democratic principles by criminalizing dissent.
We also note that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) affirms the inherent right to life under Article 6 and explicitly prohibits arbitrary deprivation of life. It further protects against torture and arbitrary arrest or detention. The persistent targeting of activists through enforced disappearances and killings constitutes a violation of these international human rights obligations.
Still, the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) requires states to take measures to prevent torture and conduct prompt investigations into allegations of abuse.
However, the lack of accountability for past and ongoing enforced disappearances suggests a blatant disregard for these obligations. Similarly, while Kenya signed the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED) in 2007, it has yet to ratify it, leaving victims without full legal recourse under international law. Nonetheless, the convention’s Article 1 makes it clear that enforced disappearances are never justifiable under any circumstances, further reinforcing the unlawfulness of these acts.
Additionally, the United Nations Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance explicitly condemns enforced disappearances as grave violations of human rights.
The ongoing targeting of activists in Kenya amounts to crimes against humanity under international law, given its systematic and widespread nature.
Through its security agencies, Kenya's government clearly violates domestic and international legal frameworks designed to protect citizens’ rights.
The repeated enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and intimidation of activists demonstrate a deliberate assault on civil liberties and democratic freedoms.
The state must cease these violations, hold perpetrators accountable, and guarantee the safety of all individuals exercising their constitutional rights.
Our demands
Today, as we deliver this statement at the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), the Kenyan state has declared war on its people.
It has chosen to silence dissent with bloodshed, to forcefully disappear and torture those who demand a better country, and to weaponize fear against pro-democracy activists.
This is a deliberate, state-orchestrated campaign of terror. We refuse to stand by as the regime tramples on our constitutional and human rights with impunity. Today, we make the following demands:
- We demand an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation into the cases of Bob Njagi, Jamil Longton, Aslam Longton, Justus Mutumwa, Martin Mwau, Steve Mbisi, Kalani Mwema, and all other victims and survivors of enforced disappearance. The state must be compelled to account for every missing person and bring those responsible for their abductions and killings to justice. We will not settle for silence, cover-ups, or manipulated reports that absolve the guilty.
- The enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings of activists must stop immediately. The William Ruto regime has turned its security forces into death squads, hunting down those who dare to speak truth to power. We demand an end to this reign of terror. Every life lost, every activist missing, every tortured soul is an indictment of a lawless regime.
- We will not accept half-hearted investigations, empty promises, or staged arrests meant to pacify the public. We demand that Inspector-General of Police, Douglas Kanja and Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin be held personally responsible for the crimes committed under their watch. If even one more activist is forcefully disappeared, tortured, or extrajudicially killed, their hands will be stained with blood, and they must be brought before a court of law.
- We are tired of security forces being used as instruments of oppression rather than protectors of the people. Every extrajudicial killing, every case of police brutality, and every act of state violence must be met with swift legal action. Kenya’s justice system has failed the victims. We call on the International Criminal Court to intervene. This is because Kenya’s human rights violations are no longer a domestic issue; they are crimes against humanity. We demand that the ICC take immediate action to investigate and prosecute those responsible for these heinous crimes.
- Kenya must ratify and domesticate the international covenant to protect all persons from enforced disappearances.
Signed by:
- Bob Njagi
- Aslam Longton
- Jamil Longton
- Dancan Kyalo
- Monicah Mwende
- Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC)
- Defenders Coalition
- Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI)
- Social Justice Center Working Group (SJCWG)
- Mathare Social Justice Centre
