NAIROBI (AP) — Western envoys in Kenya have raised concerns over reports of arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances and urged swift investigations as the country takes up its seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council.
In a joint statement on Thursday, the nine ambassadors and high commissioners said they “will support Kenya in corralling the political will necessary to effect change.”
Human rights groups have accused the authorities in Kenya of arbitrarily arresting and detaining government critics, while several people have been reported missing and, in some cases, their mutilated bodies discovered days later.
Kenya was among several African countries elected to the U.N human rights council on Oct. 9.
The envoys’ statement comes days after four Turkish nationals were abducted from Kenya and repatriated despite registering with the U.N as asylum seekers, citing threats to their lives back home.
“Abduction and forced return to countries they fled directly violates the principle of non-refoulement enshrined in Kenyan law,” Amnesty International Kenya wrote in a statement last week.
Under international law, non-refoulement prohibits the return of any person to a country where they would face torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, or other irreparable harm.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights on Thursday said it had investigated 60 cases of extrajudicial killings and 71 cases of abductions and enforced disappearances since June.
The country witnessed a series of nationwide anti-government protests that culminated in the storming and burning of parliament on June 25, when several protesters were shot dead outside parliament gates.
The police on Wednesday said that 97 women had been killed by men in the last three months and he highlighted an increase in gender-based violence.
The deputy inspector general of police, Eliud Kipkoech Langat, said there had been an increase in murder and manslaughter cases and called it a “troubling trend.”
The latest killings involve three women who went missing. Their bodies were last week discovered mutilated and dumped in different areas.
In July, the dismembered bodies of nine women were found in a quarry in the capital, Nairobi. A male suspect was arrested and detained as investigations continued but he later escaped from police custody.
The government has in recent days been accused by human rights groups of using arrests and abduction to crack down on critics.
A popular activist, Boniface Mwangi, was on Sunday detained by men who refused to identify themselves. He was held at a police station for a day and later released without charge.
FILE - Sacks with human remains are seen after being removed from a quarry in Mukuru Kwa Njenga area in Nairobi, Kenya Saturday, July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rowdy crowds took to the streets of Los Angeles after the Dodgers won the World Series, setting a city bus on fire, breaking into stores and setting off fireworks. A dozen arrests were reported by police Thursday.
Video showed people throwing objects at police in Los Angeles as sirens blared and officers told them to leave the area after the Dodgers defeated the Yankees in Game 5 in New York.
Other video showed revelers standing atop a bus waving a Dodgers banner and people running from a boarded-up Nike store with armfuls of sneakers before throwing the merchandise into cars parked outside. No injuries were reported.
“As we celebrate this achievement tonight and in the coming days, violence will not be tolerated,” Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. The mayor said the Los Angeles Police Department will be on high alert throughout the week to protect communities and businesses in the city, which has been the site of previous unrest after championship wins by both the Lakers and the Dodgers.
There were some “unruly, and at times violent and hostile celebrations” after Wednesday's win, with several acts of vandalism, including the burning of a Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus, LAPD spokesperson Officer Drake Madison said in an email. An email seeking details was sent to the transportation authority.
Arrests were on charges such as failure to disperse, receiving stolen property or commercial burglary, Madison said. There were also several instances of street takeovers downtown and police used less-lethal munitions to control several hostile and violent crowds, Madison said. In the coming days, detectives will attempt to identify those responsible for crimes, he said.
The Dodgers plan to commemorate their World Series championship Friday with a downtown parade followed by a celebration at Dodger Stadium. The team said Wednesday that because of logistics, traffic and timing, fans won’t be able to attend both events.
The parade was expected to include members of the Dodgers traveling atop double-decker buses along a 45-minute route on city streets.
Mayor Karen Bass planned a Thursday morning news conference to discuss logistics for the celebrations.
A person covered in blue paint runs from a police officer as fans celebrate on streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers won against the New York Yankees in the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A person carries out items from a ransacked Nike store after the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees to win the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Fans celebrate on the streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees to win the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Fireworks go off as fans celebrate on the streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees to win the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Fireworks go off as fans celebrate on the streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees to win the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Fireworks go off as fans celebrate on the streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees to win the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Fans dance while celebrating on the streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees to win the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Fireworks go off as fans celebrate on the streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers won against the New York Yankees in the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Fans celebrate after the Los Angeles Dodgers won against the New York Yankees in the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Los Angeles.
A fan confronts police on the streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers won against the New York Yankees in the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A person covered in blue paint runs from a police officer as fans celebrate on streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers won against the New York Yankees in the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A person covered in blue paint, paints on the streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers won against the New York Yankees in the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A police officer on horseback grabs a Los Angeles Dodgers flag as people gather on the streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers won against the New York Yankees in the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Police officers attempt to detain a man as people gather on the streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers won against the New York Yankees in the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
An LAFD arson investigator inspects a bus that was set on fire at Sunset and Echo Park after people gathered on the streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees to win the baseball World Series early Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Firefighters douse water on a bus that was set on fire at Sunset and Echo Park after people gathered on the streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees to win the baseball World Series early Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Firefighters douse water on a bus that was set on fire at Sunset and Echo Park after people gathered on the streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees to win the baseball World Series early Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A person carries out items from a ransacked Nike store after the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees to win the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
People carries out items from a ransacked Nike store after the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees to win the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A fan wearing a Shohei Ohtani taunts Los Angeles Police officers as fans celebrate on the streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers won against the New York Yankees in the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in downtown Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Fans celebrate on the streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers won against the New York Yankees in the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in downtown Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Fans celebrate on the streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers won against the New York Yankees in the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in downtown Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Firefighters douse water on a bus that was set on fire at Sunset and Echo Park after people gathered on the streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees to win the baseball World Series early Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A person carries out items from a ransacked Nike store after the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees to win the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Fireworks go off as fans celebrate on the streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers won against the New York Yankees in the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A fan looses control of his skateboard as fans celebrate on the streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers won against the New York Yankees in the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Fans celebrate on the streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers won against the New York Yankees in the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Fans celebrate on the streets after the Los Angeles Dodgers won against the New York Yankees in the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in downtown Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
