Where is our kin?

A family at Kegonga village in Kuria East sub-county is distraught after their kin disappeared without trace from police custody since January 17.

According to the family of Daniel Biru Nyamohanga, he was arrested on January 12 together with five other suspects and taken to Kehancha Police Station and arraigned at Kehancha Law Courts.

Rebecca Nyamohanga, the suspect’s wife said he received a call from her husband who sells cattle that he was arrested at the police station on a Thursday.

“Despite asking what was his charges the police did not tell me, and I only saw him at Kehancha Law Courts with other suspects on Monday,” she said.

She claims while the other suspects were released the following day on Tuesday, for a second reading of their charges her husband was not in the court. His colleagues said he was left behind at the station.

“I talked to him last on Tuesday January 17 at 4pm, he told me the officers refused to release him after he demanded Sh35,000 he had during the time of the arrest,” she said.

The family

“When I asked the officer in charge of the station where my husband was he chased me from his office saying my husband was released. Since then we have never seen him or have him on calls,” she said.

Deus Chacha, an officer with Kenya Human Rights Commission said the case if a precursor of of abuse of human rights by police in the Kuria area.

He said they have fruitlessly tried to seek redress from police and county administrators both in Kuria West, Kuria East and Migori county government.

“How can someone disappear from police custody without trace? We are planning to move to court and rights activists to ensure the police officer who arrested and booked the suspect is arrested,” he said.

But speaking to the press Kuria West OCPD Evans Wanyonyi said the suspect was released by police and said they never received any complains on his missing Sh35,000.