By Veronicah Stellah
KSL Student President Joshua Okayo Recounts Abduction During Anti-Finance Bill Protests
Murang’a County, Kenya — Joshua Okayo, the student council president of the Kenya School of Law (KSL), has detailed his harrowing experience of being abducted during the height of the nationwide anti-Finance Bill 2024 demonstrations. Okayo was seized near his residence in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County on June 26 and was found three days later near the Maragua River in Murang’a County.
In an interview with NTV, Okayo, who has been a prominent figure in the protests against President William Ruto’s government, shared that he had received warnings from three individuals about a potential threat to his safety. Despite being advised to avoid his neighborhood, he continued his routine until a stranger approached him, introducing himself as a fellow KSL comrade and inviting him to meet others. It was then that Okayo realized he was being abducted.
“They blindfolded and handcuffed me before forcing me into a car,” Okayo recounted. “They asked why I was demonstrating, who our mobilizers were, and who was funding us. I told them no one was funding us and it was in solidarity with other Kenyans.”
The abductors interrogated Okayo about a statement he issued calling for the release of two arrested students and about perceived involvement of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the controversial Finance Bill. His phone was confiscated, and he was taken to a room where he was subjected to further torture.
“They hit my ankles with metal rods while asking the same questions. They denied me water and food, demanding information on our informants and financiers,” Okayo narrated. He described how he was repeatedly beaten, strangled, and eventually thrown out of a car by the roadside.
A group of villagers found him and, using a phone number he had kept on a piece of paper, contacted his brother. Okayo was taken to Avenue Hospital in Thika, where he received treatment for the physical and psychological trauma inflicted during his ordeal.
Okayo also claimed his abductors removed his SIM cards, withdrew money from his mobile wallet, and uninstalled WhatsApp from his phone.
Condemnation and Human Rights Concerns
Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo condemned the abductions, likening the situation to the authoritarian era of former President Daniel Moi. “This is shocking! It feels like we are going back to the Moi era, the last time we heard of such abductions and torture chambers,” Odhiambo stated. She expressed concern over the resurgence of such practices and called for accountability.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights reported that between June 18 and July 1, the demonstrations resulted in 39 deaths, 361 injuries, 32 enforced disappearances, and 627 arrests of protesters.
Government Response
In response to the public outcry, President Ruto declined to assent to the Finance Bill and announced austerity measures instead. The government, however, denied any involvement in the abductions. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki stated that the government would investigate claims of abductions and enforced disappearances allegedly perpetrated by security personnel.
“Independent constitutional and statutory agencies will investigate and prosecute any person or official implicated in violating the Constitution by unlawfully confining any person,” Kindiki asserted.
The investigations are ongoing as the nation waits for justice and a resolution to the human rights violations associated with the protests.
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