NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 30 – Amnesty International Kenya has called on the government to move beyond promises and take concrete steps to end enforced disappearances, establish the whereabouts of missing persons and hold those responsible to account.

📻 Breaking It Down

In a statement to mark the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the organisation said victims and their families continue to face uncertainty while perpetrators of alleged violations remain largely unaccountable.

The call comes days after President William Ruto, during celebrations to mark the 16th anniversary of the promulgation of the Constitution, acknowledged the pain caused by past human rights violations.

Ruto said no Kenyan should lose their life, liberty or dignity for criticising the government, expressing an unpopular opinion or participating in a peaceful demonstration.

📌 What You Need to Know

Amnesty welcomed the President’s remarks but said they must be followed by action.

“Words must now be matched with action,” said George Morara, the Executive Director of Amnesty International Kenya.

The organisation said the Constitution guarantees fundamental rights that cannot be treated as privileges granted by those in power.

It cited Article 29, which protects individuals from arbitrary deprivation of freedom, torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, as well as Article 49 on the rights of arrested persons.

Article 238, Amnesty noted, requires national security to be exercised in accordance with the Constitution and the law.

According to data from the Missing Voices Coalition cited by Amnesty, six cases of enforced disappearance were documented in Kenya in 2025, alongside 125 police killings.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya