The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) Chairperson Roseline Odede is dead.
The report of her demise was made public by the KNCHR Vice Chairperson Raymond Nyeris on Saturday.
“It is with shock and deep sorrow that I inform you of the demise of Roseline Odhiambo Odede, Chairperson of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights on January, 3rd, 2025,” said Nyeris in a statement to the public.
He said Odede died after a short illness.
We send our condolences to the family and friends during this difficult time of grieving,” he added.
Odede has been vocal on human rights matters since her appointment by former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2021 and has been a strong critic of the government over human rights violations.
On her last official duty on December 26, 2024, Odede criticised the same government she was serving following the spate of abductions, arbitrary arrests, forcibly disappearances and killings.
“The KNCHR has recorded 82 abductions since June 2024, with 29 people still missing. 13 cases occurred in the last 3 months, with 7 in December alone,” stated Ms Odede while addressing the press in Kenya’s Capital, Nairobi.
She added, “These acts are a grave violation of human rights and must be condemned in the strongest terms possible,”
Human rights defenders across the country mourned Odede, terming her an icon of human rights in the country.
This occurs as Kenyans vow to return to the streets on Monday, January, 6, 2025 to continue piling pressure on the government to release abducted youth.
Among those recently abducted by people believed to be government agencies are cartoonist Gideon Kibet famously known as Kibet Bull, his bother Ronny Kiplang’at, Bernard Kavuli, Billy Mwangi among others.
Rights defenders countrywide vowed to press on until the government unconditionally releases the youth.
