The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the Police Reforms Working Group have jointly come out to demand urgent action, accountability and justice after the bodies of Justus Mtumwa and Martin Mwau, two of the four Mlolongo abductees who were missing for a couple of weeks were confirmed yesterday. After identification, the bodies were alleged to have been taken to the Nairobi Funeral Home by officers from Ruai Police Station further raising troubling questions on the course of the unnatural deaths.
In a joint statement, the LSK and Police Reforms Working Group sent their deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and joined them in calling for an independent postmortem to ascertain the cause of death. The groups have also called for a thorough investigation into the abductions and murders, calling on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to bring those responsible to justice.
“We call upon the Independent Policing Oversight Authority to thoroughly investigate their abduction and killing and bring perpetrators to justice. We urge the Directorate of Criminal Investigations as instructed by the court to urgently, effectively, impartially, and transparently investigate the abductions of Steven Mbisi and Kalani Mwema and ensure their safe return to their families,” reads part of the press released shared by Amnesty Kenya.
In their demands, LSk and RWG further called the National Police Service (NPS) to come out clear on the real number and exact identities of Kenyans who have been reported missing in the recent past.
“We demand that the National Police Service now establish a missing persons database to ensure efficiency, seamless interagency communication, and quick communication with victim families to resolve missing persons cases,” the statement added.
This tragic discovery comes amid growing public frustration over an escalating number of abductions and extrajudicial killings in Kenya. Since June 2024, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has documented over 63 cases of extrajudicial killings and 89 enforced disappearances, with 29 individuals still missing.
