KNCHR: 1,376 arbitrary arrests, 610 injuries reported in the last five months

Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) Chairperson, Roseline Odede. [File, Standard]

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has documented 1,376 arbitrary arrests and 610 injuries over the past five months, primarily linked to demonstrations held in June 2024.

In a report released on Wednesday, the Commission revealed that the injuries sustained included deep fractures, bullet wounds, soft tissue damage, and tear gas inhalation.

“Most of the injuries were inflicted by security officers against protestors. The Commission also recorded 25 cases of injuries caused to security officers by protestors,” said KNCHR Chairperson Roseline Odede.

The Commission urged authorities to expedite investigations and prosecutions of individuals found culpable for these incidents.

During the same period, KNCHR reported that 24 journalists were injured while covering anti-Finance Bill protests.

“As a nation, we must safeguard the media space to prevent descending into a banana republic. We urge the Communications Authority of Kenya to resist any attempts to censor the press and to uphold its constitutional mandate to guarantee freedom of expression and media,” Odede emphasized.

The report also highlighted rising tension and anguish fueled by the high cost of living and inadequate access to essential services such as healthcare and education.

For instance, the transition from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the Social Health Authority (SHA) has posed significant challenges, particularly for vulnerable groups, the commission said.

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“We stress the need for both levels of government to expedite measures aimed at eliminating out-of-pocket payments for essential services, in line with the Kenya Health Financing Strategy 2020-2030.”

KNCHR further called on the government to resolve the ongoing lecturers’ strike through negotiations with the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) to restore normalcy in higher learning institutions.

“The Commission is deeply concerned about the challenges facing public universities, which are underfunded and barely operational, as well as the prolonged disruption of studies due to the lecturers’ strike,” Odede noted.

Odede emphasized that the government must hold perpetrators of corruption accountable, describing it as the greatest obstacle to the realization of human rights.