The world marks International Human Rights Day today, but victims of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances say no major strides have been made.
Human rights groups also claim their civil space is shrinking as the government is actively clipping them.
The state has dismissed the allegations.
Multiple interviews conducted by the Star reveals right to life, ownership of land and entitlement to a decent living have been violated, ostensibly by the government.
Victims have turned to NGOs, including Muslims for Human Rights (Muhuri) for help. Muhuri executive director Hassan Abdille said 71 people have been killed in cold blood in the past one year at the Coast.
“We’ve received complaints relating to gross human rights violations around torture, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and sometime the security agencies kill in the context of extortion,” he said.
Abdille accused the police of killing and torturing suspects “in the name of crime control”.
“There is overwhelming evidence of police shootings with explicit mandate to exterminate people, including suspected gang members. While it is the sole responsibility of the government and its security agencies to maintain law and order, all interventions employed should always respect the rule of law, human rights and the spirit of the Constitution,” he said.
Muhuri Rapid response officer Francis Auma said wanton killings and detainment and forced disappearances of civilians without due process is a blatant violation of human rights.
Hafswa Bunu from Lamu said she lost her brother, Ali Bunu, because of 300 acres for the Lapsset corridor programme. The Lamu parcel is worth Sh900 million.
When Ali was abducted in 2016, allegedly by security forces, he was accused of being a Shabaab operative. The same day, there was an attack in Garrissa and police reportedly linked him to it.
He was captured at Faza with five other workers. One was shot dead during the operation, but one escaped after witnessing the killing.
Ali had stayed on the land for 20 years. His property was razed after the raid and he was later killed.
Hafswa had no idea her brother was dead. She alleged that she offered Sh920,000 to the police so he could be released.
“I did not know the police had turned to be con artists. Muhuri chairman Khelef Khalifa had warned me against giving the money, but I ignored,” she said.
She was told his brother was at Pangani police station in Nairobi where she first gave Sh70,000. She was shown his brother's file with correct details and told he was at Shimo La Tewa prison in Mombasa.
Hafswa said she later gave Sh300,000, then Sh150,000 and finally Sh400,000. He sold his a car and gold jewelleries to meet the demand, but her brother never returned.
She said there is no justice in Kenya as she has yet to repossess the 300-acre parcel.