Keneth Kirimi works with Release Political Prisoners (RPP) and is an active member of Bunge la Mwananchi, a grassroots movement which aims to fight social injustice and promote accountable leadership at all levels in Kenya. Stephen Musau is the Executive Coordinator of RPP.
On the morning of 22 April 2010, plain clothed police officers arrested Keneth Kirimi and two individuals who were with him on Thika road in Nairobi. The arrest occurred near the headquarters of the General Services Unit (GSU), a special unit of the Kenyan police established to deal with special operations and civil disorder.
One of the individuals arrested alerted Bunge la Mwananchi immediately after his release, at approx 2.45 pm of the same day. He reported that they were forced to enter a vehicle and driven around the Eastlands for a few hours while they were being interrogated. The officers addressed most of their questions to Keneth Kirimi, and released the other two individuals one by one.
Keneth Kirimi’s whereabouts were unknown from the time the second individual was released. He was reportedly detained in Thika, before being blindfolded and sedated and taken to another isolated house in Suswa, in the Narok district, where he awoke on Saturday. During his detention he was reportedly subjected to various forms of torture and ill-treatment including sexual assault, intimidation through gunshots being fired in a small room, being beaten and threatened that the police officers would sleep with his wife if he did not own up.
According to Mr Kirimi, he was interrogated about links between the RPP and the Mungiki (an illegal politico-religious group in Kenya); his role in RPP and Bunge la Mwananchi; the work carried out by Stephen Musau, Executive Coordinator of RPP, and the organisation generally with regard to the Mt. Elgon military operations; the work of Stephen Musau and the RPP regarding extrajudicial killings and the subsequent sharing of their report with Professor Philip Alston; why Stephen Musau is so vocal regarding extrajudicial killings, and so concerned with government operations on matters of security, among other questions.
Keneth Kirimi was found on 25 April at Suswa Market, reportedly in serious physical pain. He is currently undergoing treatment with the support of the Independent Medico Legal Unit.
Front Line believes the arbitrary arrest, detention, and alleged torture and ill-treatment of Keneth Kirimi to be directly linked to his legitimate work in defence of human rights. Front Line is seriously concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Keneth Kirimi. Furthermore, taking into account the subject matter of Keneth Kirimi’s interrogation, Front Line is gravely concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Stephen Musau, who has also reported the receipt of threatening phone calls and text messages. Front Line sees this as part of an ongoing pattern of harassment against Keneth Kirimi and Stephen Musau.
