Veteran human rights defender Khelef Khalifa was on Saturday morning reportedly abducted along the Mombasa-Malindi highway.
Khalifa was with his family heading to Malindi, Kilifi county from Mombasa to join his other family members for a gathering before he was stopped by policemen at Mida Creek area along the Mombasa-Malindi highway and together with his family members they were abducted.
The security agents were on balaclavas and masks.
According to Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI) Rapid Response Officer Francis Auma, the security agencies confiscated all their mobile phones and switched them off, adding that Khalifa and his family members are currently unavailable on phone.
Fear
“We are terrified because these security agents are definitely up to no good in their discourse. We want to inform the country that despite covering themselves and without any identifications, the family members were able to clearly identify them as security officials,” noted Mr Auma.
He said the human rights defenders across the country have been informed of the Saturday morning incident and they are already pursuing all relevant leads to unearth the motive behind the abduction of the once Commissioner of the Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNHCR).
“Khelef Khalifa has been very vocal in fighting impunity, advancing for human rights and scoffing the government when it comes to matters of good governance, fighting corruption and the recent protests by the young population who are advancing for good governance in their own country,” disclosed Auma.
He said they fear that the family including the veteran human rights defender may be terrorised and even be subjected to forcibly disappearance.
Khalifa has served MUHURI for over two decades now, from chairing the rights lobby’s Board where he is currently one of the organisation’s Board of directors.
“We will stop at nothing until we find the reason of his abduction and why the police did not want to identify themselves. Justice should be served in this circumstances,” the rights defender further revealed.
It is suspected that the family has been taken to the Malindi police station where the human rights defenders from the coastal region have vowed to camp demanding for the release of Mr Khalifa and his entire family.
