Human Rights Watch exposes abductions linked to security agency

Human Rights Watch Africa has raised serious concerns about a spike in abductions in Kenya, implicating a special government security agency known as the Operations Support Unit (OSU). In its 35th Edition of the World Report, the group drew comparisons between the OSU and the now-defunct Special Squad Unit (SSU) from former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s era.

Otsieno Namwaya, the organization’s director, stated that the OSU operates from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Nairobi, claiming that it effectively replaced the SSU after President William Ruto disbanded it. Alarmingly, the report reveals that 83 Kenyans have been abducted recently, with 26 still missing, raising serious alarms about the erosion of the rule of law.

The group criticized the government for allegedly abducting foreign nationals, citing the case of Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi, whose abduction highlighted a troubling trend of cross-border collaboration in repression. The report also mentions the abduction of Kizza Besyge, taken to a Ugandan military court, and the forced deportation of four Turkish nationals.