Chilling Ordeal: Abducted Activists Recount Horrific Torture After Gen Z Protests
Six Kenyan human rights activists, including Collins Ochieng and Frederick Ojiro, were found tortured and dumped after being arrested during a memorial march against police brutality. The activists, released on June 27, 2026, recounted severe physical abuse and threats, highlighting ongoing concerns about human rights and police impunity in Kenya.
Six Kenyan human rights activists and protesters, including Collins Ochieng and Frederick Ojiro, were reportedly arrested during a memorial march in Nairobi and subsequently found "dumped and tortured." The activists were participating in an event marking the second anniversary of the landmark "Gen Z" uprising, protesting police killings and the nation's long history of police brutality and enforced disappearances. The arrests occurred outside parliament on a Thursday, with the individuals remaining incommunicado until they were found on a Saturday.
Collins Ochieng and Frederick Ojiro Odhiambo, along with Michael Ngige alias ‘Jomo Kenyatta Junior’, Muteti Mulinge, and Elijah Alam, were among those released on June 27, 2026. Upon their release, they received treatment at Nairobi Women's Hospital for various injuries, including severe groin, joint, chest, and abdominal pains. Their harrowing accounts detail painful experiences at the hands of their abductors, who allegedly subjected them to torture and issued threats. The abductors reportedly demanded to know the reasons behind their protests and who was funding them to tarnish the image of the Kenya Kwanza administration.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) reported that the six individuals were found "dumped" in different parts of Nairobi, and tragically, one protester from the group remained missing. The KHRC further detailed on X that the activists reported being brutally assaulted by police while in custody. This incident occurred amidst a wider crackdown where Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen stated that approximately 355 people were arrested across the country during the protests, with many appearing in court on Friday.
The memorial march itself served as a powerful platform to highlight the severe impact of police violence in Kenya. Previous protests in June-July 2024 and a similar period in 2025 saw at least 127 people killed by security forces, who often act with near-total impunity. The recent events underscore persistent concerns regarding human rights and civil liberties in the East African nation, as activists continue to demand accountability and an end to enforced disappearances and police brutality.