Joshua Okayo, the student council president at Kenya School of Law (KSL), has shared his frightening experience of being kidnapped during nationwide protests against the Finance Bill 2024.
Okayo said he was taken from near his home in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County on Wednesday, June 26.
He was later found dumped near Maragua River in Murang’a County on Saturday, June 29.
In an interview with NTV, Okayo said he had been warned about possible dangers before his abduction.
People told him to stay away from his neighborhood and keep a low profile.
He explained that a stranger introduced him to three people who were supposed to be fellow students from KSL, but they turned out to be his captors.
They blindfolded him, put handcuffs on him, and forced him into a car.
While he was held captive, Okayo was questioned about his role in the protests, including who organized them and where the funding came from.
He endured physical violence, including being hit on his ankles with metal rods.
His abductors took away his phone and refused to give him water.
They drove him around, continued to hurt him, and finally threw him out of the car by the road.
Villagers found him there and got him to a hospital.
Okayo’s story shows the dangers faced by people who speak out during protests in Kenya.
The protests against the Finance Bill turned violent, and there were reports of human rights abuses.
Faith Odhiambo, the president of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), condemned these kidnappings and said they reminded her of bad times in Kenya’s past under former President Daniel Moi.
According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, the protests led to 39 deaths, 361 injuries, 32 kidnappings, and 627 arrests of protesters between June 18 and July 1.
President William Ruto eventually decided not to sign the Bill into law, but he introduced other ways to handle the budget problems it was meant to fix.
Despite claims that police were involved in the kidnappings and deaths during the protests, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said the police were not involved.
He promised that the government would investigate and punish anyone who broke the law while dealing with the protests.
Okayo’s story shows that Kenya still has problems protecting people’s rights and keeping peace during protests.
People are calling for the government to explain what happened and to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
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