Police probe missing activist as five protesters claim torture
National
By
David Njaaga
| Jun 28, 2026
Police are investigating the disappearance of activist Davis Lichuma after five other protesters vanished during recent demonstrations and resurfaced with torture injuries.
The five, Frederick Odhiambo Ojiro, Michael Ngige, Muteti Mulinge, Collins Ochieng and Elijah Alam, were found dumped in various locations across Nairobi and are receiving treatment at Nairobi Women's Hospital for injuries sustained from alleged beatings while in police custody.
In a statement on Sunday, June 28, National Police Service (NPS) spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga noted the service had observed allegations of enforced disappearances and torture circulating in mainstream and social media, and urged anyone with information to report to the nearest police station.
"We acknowledge receipt of a report of a missing person, namely Davis Lichuma, which was made at Central Police Station in Nairobi," the statement read.
"We guarantee that all reports will be investigated thoroughly, professionally, impartially, and expeditiously, in accordance with the law."
The six had been arrested near Parliament buildings during the June 25 demonstrations and booked at Central Police Station, according to Amnesty International Kenya.
Despite photographic evidence of their arrests circulating widely, police at multiple Nairobi stations reportedly refused to log the disappearances in their occurrence books.
"Davis Lichuma remains missing. The National Police Service must immediately disclose his whereabouts and ensure his safe release. Every passing moment without answers heightens concern for his safety," warned Amnesty International Kenya.
The developments echo a pattern documented over the past two years. Enforced disappearances rose 450 per cent in 2024, from 10 cases in 2023 to 55, according to the Missing Voices coalition, the highest number ever recorded in a single year.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) recorded at least 63 deaths, 610 injuries and 74 enforced disappearances during the 2024 protest period, with 26 people still unaccounted for.
The Human Rights Watch (HRW) World Report 2026 put the number of people still missing and linked to the protests at 41, including 26 from 2024 and 15 from 2025.
Justice for victims of the 2024 crackdown has moved slowly. The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) confirmed only three of the 62 protest-related deaths have reached court, with 46 cases still under investigation.
Thursday's nationwide demonstrations marked the second anniversary of the June 25, 2024, anti-Finance Bill protests, during which dozens of protesters were killed after Parliament was stormed.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said 355 people were arrested countrywide.
More than 200 were presented before the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi on Friday, where the court released them on a cash bail of Sh1,000 each.
Amnesty called on IPOA and KNCHR to launch an immediate, independent and impartial investigation into the torture allegations and to hold those responsible to account.