A Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) staffer was deported on Saturday night after returning to Kenya at around 10pm.
In a statement on Sunday, July 7, KHRC revealed that the Ugandan national, Martin Mavenjina, was deported back to the East African nation despite having a valid working visa to stay in Kenya.
Manjevina had been out of the country for an official visit to South Africa when he was denied reentry upon return.
The human rights group termed the deportation as deliberate, claiming that the government has been targeting human rights defenders since the June 25 commemorative protests.
"Our staff member, Martin Mavenjina, has been deported to Uganda. He had arrived in Kenya at 10 pm on Saturday following an official visit to South Africa," a statement from the organisation said.
"Mavenjina holds a valid work permit. Since June 25, the William Ruto regime has been deliberately targeting human rights defenders, and Mavenjina's deportation is part of their strategy. We are working to bring Mavenjina back to Kenya."
Mavenjina is a senior legal advisor on transitional justice at the commission, leading to the assertion by KHRC that his illegal deportation is part of the government's strategy to silence human rights defenders.
On June 25, 2024, Kenyans, mostly Gen Z, took to the streets to protest the proposed Finance Bill, 2024, which sought to burden Kenyans with more taxes.
Soon after, the police officers would retaliate with deadly force, leaving at least 60 dead and dozens more missing from forced disappearances. Of the missing, many were activists who had utilised social media to call out the regime in various ways.
This is also not the first time Kenya has deported known human rights defenders from the country.
In 2024, Uganda’s opposition leader, Kizza Besigye, was allegedly abducted and ultimately returned to Ugandan authorities when he came to Kenya to attend the launch of Martha Karua’s memoir. He is still in police custody, months later.
A few months later, Tanzanian activist Marian Tsenagu, who currently lives in Kenya, was also abducted under similar circumstances.
Although she was not deported, the two instances set a precedent that Kenya was not a safe place for activists fleeing their countries over government threats.
