On July 23, police arrested human rights defender Boniface Ogutu in Kisumu when he protested the inadequate governance that has crippled the country.
DCI officers tortured Ogutu, recording the abuse on their phones. They punched and strangled Ogutu, pierced his index finger, hit his head multiple times, and struck his nose, causing him to bleed and suffer soft tissue injuries.
“Now Ogutu faces fabricated obstruction charges for simply advocating for positive governance in Kenya,” according to KHRC.
KHRC demands the dismissal of all charges against Ogutu and the granting of his unconditional release.
Initially, the officer in charge took Ogutu, the convener of the Kisumu Peace and Justice Centre, to the Kondele police station but refused to detain him.
Around noon, four DCI officers in an unmarked green Subaru picked up Ogutu and transported him to Vihiga police station, about 24 kilometres from Kisumu.
The officers covered his head and began torturing him, recording the abuse on their phones.
They punched and strangled Ogutu, pierced his index finger, hit his head multiple times, and struck his nose, causing him to bleed and suffer soft tissue injuries.
The officers demanded that Ogutu divulge his phone password and stop mobilizing for peaceful protests, appearing to follow orders to suppress anti-government demonstrations.
At 7 p.m., the Vihiga OCS took Ogutu to Mbale Hospital and discharged him at 9 p.m.
Attempts to return him to the Vihiga police station failed, so the DCI officers took him to the Railways police station in Kisumu, where he remained overnight without medical attention.
On July 24, the DCI officers brought Ogutu to court, charging him with obstruction. Before entering a plea, Magistrate Millicent Nyigei ordered his hospitalization. The Kisumu sub-county hospital admitted Ogutu.
“Ogutu must receive adequate healthcare at the state’s expense.
“We must hold the four DCI officers who tortured him accountable,” said a KHCR official.
“Constitutional protections for the right to protest forbid suppression.
According to Ogutu, the DCI officers snooped on his phone and swapped his SIM cards, suspecting ongoing regime surveillance. KHRC demands an end to all state surveillance, both digital and offline.
