Former Police Spokesperson Charles Owino has said cases of abductions and enforced disappearances are limited, maintaining that the police remain committed to operating within the law.

Speaking during a television interview on Monday, June 29, 2026, Owino responded to concerns raised following the June 25, 2026, protests and reports of abductions involving some protesters, including social justice activist Davis Lichuma.

“As we enjoy our rights and fundamental freedoms, we ought not to prejudice the rights and freedoms of others,” Owino said.

He added that, “The so-called cases of abductions may be very few or limited. There is no head of police or government that would sit down to harm its people. If you do that, people will lose confidence in you, and when people lose confidence in their government, it can’t work.”

Lichuma’s case

Owino’s remarks come as rights groups continue to demand accountability over abduction and torture claims against Lichuma, who went missing after taking part in the June 25, 2026, demonstrations commemorating the second anniversary of the 2024 Gen Z protests.

Lichuma was later found and admitted to Kenyatta National Hospital before being transferred to Nairobi Women’s Hospital for specialised treatment.

Former Chief Justice David Maraga, who visited him in hospital, said the activist had visible signs of torture.

“He’s not able to talk. You don’t need to be told what he’s gone through. His frequent tremors when asleep, most likely ‘post traumatic stress disorders’ (PTSDs), tells it all. Davis has been tortured,” Maraga said in a post on X.

Siaya Governor James Orengo also criticised the incident, describing it as “a criminal act of the State” and questioning the continued reports of enforced disappearances despite the protections guaranteed under the 2010 Constitution.

Police accountability

Owino said the National Police Service has mechanisms for dealing with officers who break the law, adding that disciplinary and criminal action is taken where there is evidence of wrongdoing.

“Police have always taken actions against their colleagues,” he said, citing cases in which officers have been prosecuted following recommendations by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Director of Public Prosecutions.

He urged activists and protesters to exercise their constitutional rights within the law while respecting the rights of other Kenyans.

The June 25, 2026 demonstrations led to hundreds of arrests across the country. Human rights organisations have since called for investigations into reported cases of abductions, assaults and enforced disappearances linked to the protests, while the National Police Service has maintained that officers were deployed to protect lives, property and maintain public order.