Family and Lawyer Search for Missing Constable After Holding Placards During Anti-Finance Bill Protests
The family and lawyer of Ruiru Training College for Prisoners Constable Jackson Kuria Kihara are urgently seeking his whereabouts after he disappeared on Sunday.
Benjamin Njeru, the lawyer for the Kenya Prisons Officer known as Shakur, told Gossipa2z.com that he suspects his client was abducted due to his involvement in the anti-Finance Bill protests.
A photo obtained by the outlet shows Shakur holding a placard urging police officers to avoid using live bullets, reserving them instead for gangs in Haiti.
Following his disappearance, his lawyers filed a report with the police, but Shakur has not yet been found.
Njeru stated, “We reported him missing at Kiamumbi and received an OB number. His case is unique because he was seen holding a placard with a ‘reject finance bill’ hashtag.”
Since Shakur works for the Kenya Prisons Services, the restriction against picketing under Article 24 (5) does not apply to him. To prevent his arrest, his legal team obtained a 30-day anticipatory bail, but before it could be paid, Shakur was reportedly abducted.
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“We applied for anticipatory bail and received it yesterday. The bail was set at Ksh100,000. Paying this would prevent his arrest for 30 days until the court hearing, but now he’s been abducted, which violates his basic human rights,” Njeru explained.
“We can’t pay the bail if he’s abducted. We need him to be present to complete the payment. We’re using social media to ensure his safety so the court’s orders can be enforced,” Njeru added.
Over 30 people have reportedly been abducted, with some released, for participating in the anti-Finance Bill protests that lasted two weeks.
In a recent incident, former MP Alfred Keter was publicly taken from his vehicle and detained at Kamukunji Police Station. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) later stated he was arrested for conspiracy to traffic firearms and incitement to violence.
President William Ruto, in a roundtable interview, emphasized his administration’s commitment to respecting the independence of the police service.
Family and Lawyer Search for Missing Constable After Holding Placards During Anti-Finance Bill Protests