It’s one thing to be an activist, stand up for what is right, and brave tear gas and batons, and quite another to have one’s convictions and ideals tested and bashed by state atrocities resulting in hospitalisation and enduring pain.
Law student Joshua Okayo still shudders at the sight and sound of the police.
He is the President of the Kenya School of Law Student Governing Council.
The activist was among leaders of the Gen Z protests in June and July.
He said memories of torture at the hands of his abductors are still raw and probably will haunt him for the rest of his life.
They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. But it’s not easy.
Okayo was found unconscious in Murang’a after unidentified persons picked him from his Rongai house for alleged involvement in the June 25 protests against higher taxes, disregard for the people, and the perceived dismal state of leadership.
He had been forewarned about abduction and about to leave to find a hiding place when he was grabbed and handcuffed. A hood was placed over his head and was thrust into a car.
They drove around and he was interrogated about who was funding the protests and if it was someone in government. He said he didn’t know.
Then they threw him into the boot and drove to an interrogation room where the violence started.
After failing to get answers, Okayo said his abductors took him out of the room, bundled him into a car, drove, stopped and threw him out.
Okayo said his abductors took his SIM card, uninstalled his WhatsApp and withdrew money from his phone.
He told the Star in an exclusive interview that those excruciating and illuminating events changed his perception and attitude towards the police, for the worse.
Okayo said during his 48-hour detention, he felt violated and his constitutional right to peaceful protest and his civil liberties were ripped away.
The KSL student council president said the events were so traumatising and initially such a setback that he almost lost track of his studies.
His abductors, however, also taught him a powerful and motivating lesson about how law enforcement really works, as opposed to how it is supposed to work, according to its mottoes of Service to All and Service With Dignity.
Of course, most police are decent, but not all of them, and even the sight of the good guys makes him shudder.
“I feel they took me so many steps backward, while I did nothing wrong. I didn’t attend classes for two months. For weeks, I was not able to concentrate to read. I forced myself to read for exams. All these things combined to make me have a hateful attitude towards the police and the government,” he recounted.
The activist still experiences physical pain where his body was struck by his abductors and pays the price for what he didn’t do.
“My friends at KSL luckily fundraised for the initial hospital costs but after that, I have gone to hospital several times because of problems that manifested later,” he said.
What’s worse, Okayo said, is his belief that President William Ruto has yet to adequately address the concerns that ignited the protests.
“He hasn’t addressed them. Some of the [taxation] provisions in the Finance Bill are coming back. We wanted some CSs to be replaced but they were just reshuffled. Nothing hurts as much as that,” he said.
Nationwide opposition and Gen Z protests forced Ruto to withdraw the Bill and seemingly listen to protesters.
“It feels the President doesn’t care or believes there is nothing we can do now. He told us he’d sack the whole Cabinet but brought back 60 per cent of those we wanted to go.”
The student leader said they also still believe President Ruto’s administration is not committed to fighting corruption.
It is unfortunate the abductions, of which he was but one victim, are yet to end, he said, adding the events demonstrate an abuse of rights and impunity.
He said Ruto has “a chance to redeem the image of his administration”, adding the change would depend on the President himself.
Okayo said if he were in Ruto’s place, he’d make reasonable appointments, and thus “create a team that would transform Kenya and lead that team.
“But he is repaying political debts. He is appointing friends, party allies, not based on merit but on affiliation. He has done badly in appointments,” the future lawyer said.
The student leader said if he were President, he would seize on a cause, like eradicating corruption and fight it heart and soul.
“But he is not fighting corruption… this is what aggrieves us. If
we genuinely fight corruption, we
will have surplus budgets, but it’s
only doable if these taxpayers speak
one language.”
