The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has strongly criticised the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for arresting three activists accused of inciting violence, theft, and property destruction during the June 25 protests.
In a statement issued on Saturday, June 28, KHRC dismissed the allegations against the trio—John Mulingwa Nzau alias Garang, Mark Amiani alias Generali, and Francis Mutunge Mwangi alias Chebukati—as unfounded. The commission described them as respected human rights defenders.
“These charges are not only baseless, but they also represent a deliberate distortion of the truth,” the statement read in part.
“The three comrades are well-known human rights defenders, regionally recognized for integrating music and art into movement building and consistently standing in solidarity with the oppressed,” KHRC added.
The commission further accused state agencies of collaborating with groups that looted and destroyed property during the protests, noting that some officers were seen escorting the alleged goons.
“Police officers were seen escorting and directing these groups, all while unleashing tear gas and force on peaceful citizens,” KHRC claimed. “This speaks to a systemic failure or worse, a deliberate strategy to delegitimize civic protest and criminalize dissent.”
KHRC called for the immediate and unconditional release of the three activists, terming their arrest unjust.
DCI detectives apprehended the trio on Friday, June 27, while they were aboard a Mombasa-bound bus near the Konza City section. According to the DCI, the suspects were attempting to escape to the coast to avoid arrest.
“John Mulingwa Nzau alias Garang, Mark Amiani alias Generali, and Francis Mutunge Mwangi alias Chebukati were flushed from a Mombasa-bound bus at the Konza City section, following an in-depth forensic investigation triggered by testimonies from concerned and affected citizens,” read a statement by the DCI.
The agency added that the suspects had planned to hide at a coastal location, unaware that they were already under surveillance.
“Among others who have already been identified and are being pursued, the suspects had planned to hole up at a coastal hideout to evade police dragnet, oblivious that justice would catch up with them sooner or later,” DCI said.
