Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has strongly denied allegations concerning the abduction of activists opposing the Finance Bill 2024.
Speaking at Citizen TV, Kindiki emphasized that no activists had been abducted, countering the claims circulating on social media. He stated that they were arrested by police.
"You can be arrested at any time of the day or the night depending on the nature of the crime you are committing," Kindiki clarified.
Moving forward, the Interior Cabinet Secretary disclosed that the government was working on a proposal to reign on protestors and other crooks.
The soft-spoken Cabinet Secretary explained that the ministry was benchmarking with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution to arrive at a conclusive framework.
"We are working on a policy framework which will be introduced in parliament to provide a framework."
"For example, the Director of Public Prosecutions has developed guidelines on how he arrives at a decision to charge someone. We have been in talks with the National Council on Administrative Justice whereby we want to come up with policy rule-based guidelines on how we arrive at a decision to arrest someone and the procedure."
Currently, there are no formalized guidelines dictating the timing or circumstances under which arrests should be made, leading to concerns about arbitrary detentions and the potential for misuse of power and abductees held incommunicado.
"Right now, the policy framework is not there," Kindiki admitted.
"You can be arrested at any time of the day or the night, depending on the nature of the crime you are committing."
Despite Kindiki's assurances, the allegations have sparked a significant public outcry, with activists and human rights organizations calling for greater transparency and accountability in law enforcement and more particularly on the handling of peaceful protesters.
The alleged abductions have fueled fears of a crackdown on dissent, particularly against those vocally opposing the government's revenue collection policies.
Kindiki has been under fire after his officers allegedly shot live bullets and maimed protesters who were practising their right to picket as enshrined in the constitution.
