Mr. Davis Lichuma, a Kenyan activist who had been reported missing, was found alive after allegedly being abducted, tortured, injured and abandoned, according to the Social Justice Centres Working Group.
The Rights group said Lichuma was discovered in critical condition after being dumped near Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) before being transferred to Nairobi Women’s Hospital for specialised treatment.
The organisation and its other colleagues claimed Lichuma had been subjected to severe torture during the period he was missing and described the incident as evidence of alleged enforced disappearances and extrajudicial abuses.
The group called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and treatment, demanding that those responsible be identified and prosecuted.
“We will not accept silence, cover-ups or excuses. An injury to one is an injury to all,” the statement said, adding that Kenyans deserve answers on who allegedly abducted Lichuma, where he was held, who ordered his torture and why he was abandoned.
He was unable to explain where he had been since last Thursday, when he was taken away. He was among a group of seven activists who were picked up from near Parliament during a protest and taken to an undisclosed place where they were tortured.
The other six were dumped on Langata Road on Saturday morning. They all said they had been beaten up. They were taken to the hospital.
The victims said those behind the torture were police officers.
The development comes after the National Police Service said it had received a missing person’s report concerning Lichuma and urged anyone with information or allegations relating to enforced disappearances, torture or other human rights violations to report them to the nearest police station.
Authorities had not immediately commented on the latest claims regarding Lichuma’s condition or the circumstances under which he was found. Investigations are expected to establish what transpired during the period he was missing.
