A group of armed men stormed the headquarters of the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) on Sunday, disrupting a press conference intended to highlight ongoing state violence and abuses, an AFP journalist reported.
The attack occurred just ahead of Kenya’s annual Saba Saba Day, which commemorates pro-democracy demonstrations from the 1990s.
The press event, organised in part by the grassroots organisation Women’s Collective Kenya, aimed to draw attention to what they described as an alarming increase in police brutality, arbitrary arrests, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings.
According to the AFP journalist, the gang of roughly 20 individuals—some wielding sticks—forced their way through a locked gate before attacking attendees and stealing their belongings.
Witnesses said the attackers accused the organisers of planning protests.
“The gate was locked, but they forced themselves in. “They were attacking and robbing guys, saying, ‘You are planning protests here,'” said the reporter.
The Women’s Collective Kenya later confirmed the incident on X (formerly Twitter), posting, “Armed goons have attacked offices of the Kenya Human Rights Commission.”
Similar groups of attackers, colloquially known in Kenya as “goons,” have reportedly been used in recent weeks to intimidate or assault demonstrators.
On June 17, anti-police violence protesters were ambushed by hundreds of men on motorbikes wielding whips and clubs.
AFP reporters at that protest witnessed the attackers operating under apparent police protection. Some individuals openly admitted they had been paid by local political leaders to carry out the attacks.
The political climate has become increasingly volatile. On June 25, protests turned deadly, leaving at least 19 people dead and widespread destruction across businesses and properties.
Public anger towards President William Ruto’s administration has escalated sharply following ongoing economic challenges, widespread corruption allegations, and a surge in reports of police abuses since mass protests began in June 2024.
