On Tuesday November 20, around 80 unknown gunmen, who police described as “bandits”, attacked Chakama shopping centre in Makongeni sub-location, 80km from Malindi town in Kilifi county.
In the aftermath of the night attack, five people had gunshot wounds and 23-year-old Italian Silvia Romano was missing. As soon as news of the abduction was confirmed, police moved swiftly to investigate and begin the process of pursuing the abductors. In just about a week, it was reported that over 20 people were arrested, full security contingent deployed, including helicopters, and even an offer of Sh1 million made to any one with information that will lead to Romano's rescue.
In contrast, over six months ago on May 25, 18-year-old Kenyan Husni Mbarak was abducted in broad daylight — right in front of his relatives and friends in Mombasa town — by gunmen, who allegedly identified themselves as police. Despite the family and Haki Africa doing all that is required to report the matter and making follow ups, police have done nothing of substance to establish his whereabouts.
There were no reports of police pursuing the abductors, leave alone the security operations, including helicopters, to comb the area and reward for anyone with information about Mbarak’s whereabouts.
Haki Africa has records of over 28 other Kenyans who have been abducted this year alone at the Coast, yet little or no action at all has been taken by the security agencies to find them. It would appear that abduction of Kenyans is of little consequence to the police and nothing much is done to help families find their loved ones.
It has become customary for families to never see their loved ones once they are abducted. For the few who have somehow returned in the past, they tell of horrid stories of torture, anguish and death. They speak of their tormentors being Kenyans with a few foreigners involved but all identifying themselves as security officers. It is said that torture camps are well spread in different parts of the Coast, with the majority being in the far north areas beyond Gamba towards Lamu county. Others have talked of military camps in Boni Forest where those abducted are kept and held incommunicado and in horrid conditions.
Despite patches of information being available about these secret locations, no government agency has taken up the initiative to follow up to confirm the real situation. Even the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, which is mandated by law to investigate places of detention, has not considered investigating the allegations of these Guantanamo-like detention centres in Kenya.
With regards to the police, while we commend them for their efforts in establishing the whereabouts of Romano, one wonders why the same treatment is never accorded to Kenyans who disappear in similar circumstances and areas. Does this mean that police are least interested in Kenyans who pay heavy taxes to fund all their operations? Or does it mean they know what is going on and are somehow involved with the abductions of Kenyans, hence choose to turn a blind eye? Whatever the case may be, it is clear from what we have seen after the abduction of Romano, that Kenya police are capable and have capacity to pursue abductors.
When they do little or nothing as has often been the case of many Kenyans, it is by design and not at all a coincidence or due to lack of capacity. For a government that has been vocal at the international arena on sovereignty issues, it is perplexing that they allow the police to operate in this manner.
Police and the government in general have a duty and obligation to serve all people and accord them equal treatment. No person, foreign or local, is more important than the other. It is disheartening to see police openly discriminating and favouring foreigners over local citizens. As citizens, we must demand more from our the police. We must call them to account for their acts of omission and/or commission.