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Kenya School of Law student council president Joshua Okayo was abducted from his home due to his involvement in the youth-led protests.

Lawyer sheds tears narrating his abduction, being beaten & dumped 90km from home | Pulselive Kenya

Denis Mwangi

Joshua Okayo, the president of the student council at the Kenya School of Law (KSL), has shared a traumatic experience he endured after being abducted on June 26, 2024.

The abduction took place shortly after Okayo participated in protests opposing the 2024 Finance Bill and various government malpractices.

Okayo was taken from his rented residence in Olerai, Rongai, by individuals believed to be security officers. He was blindfolded, forced into a vehicle, and driven around without direction while being incessantly interrogated about the protests.

Kenya School of Law (KSL) student council president Joshua Okayo

His abductors pressed him for details about the protests, including the financiers and the role of KSL students in the demonstrations.

For 30 grueling minutes, Okayo's captors interrogated him, breaking their silence only to demand information. Eventually, he was moved to another vehicle, where his ordeal continued.

Okayo was forced into the trunk of the car and driven around for hours before being placed in a dark room, still blindfolded and deprived of food and water.

The torture was severe. "They beat my chest, legs, and ankles, strangled me, and demanded information I didn't possess," Okayo recounted. Despite his honest responses, the captors were dissatisfied with his answers.

On the morning of June 28, Okayo's nightmare ended when his captors threw him out of a moving vehicle near the Maragua River in Murang'a County.

"I rolled several times on the ground, too weak to move," he recalled.

Locals eventually discovered him, attended to his injuries, and helped him contact his family.

Okayo's ordeal began on June 25, when he joined friends in protests at the Parliament Buildings in Nairobi.

These protests were sparked by <a data-link-role-code="open_new_tab" href="https://www.pulselive.co.ke/news/local/president-ruto-shares-his-biggest-regret-about-finance-bill-protests/158zshb">opposition to the Finance Bill 2024</a> and other issues such as government corruption and the appointment of unqualified individuals to key positions.

During the protests, a friend of Okayo's warned that participants faced three possible outcomes: some might be shot dead, others injured, and some might leave unharmed.

Protestors during Occupy Parliament protests in Kenya

Most protestors believed it was worth risking their lives to ensure their voices were heard.

In response to the abductions and arbitrary arrests during the protests, the government has <a data-link-role-code="open_new_tab" href="https://www.pulselive.co.ke/news/local/government-responds-to-allegations-of-abductions-during-finance-bill-protests/dbc1gh9">pledged to investigate and hold those responsible accountable</a>.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki assured the public of the government's commitment to protecting constitutional rights and warned against exploiting peaceful protests to incite chaos.

Despite his harrowing experience, Okayo remains determined to fight for justice and support the protests.

Lawyer sheds tears narrating his abduction, being beaten & dumped 90km from home

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