Back To Nyayo House Torture Days?

I could not believe what I was hearing on the news about the atrocities allegedly being carried out by army personnel in Mount Elgon. It seems we’re back to the Nyayo house days except this time people are not being taken to the basement of that building. According to the Kenya Human Rights Commission, thousands of people belonging to the Sabaot Community have been tortured to death on suspicion of being members of the Sabaot Land Defense Force. Those who live to tell the story have horrible scars not only on their bodies but also definitely on their psyches.

There was the very sad case of a woman who was forced to strip before being smeared with pepper in her private parts. This is the most sadistic way of punishment which only a sick mind can come up with. And that means we have some sick minds in our forces. The aim of the officers who did such a thing is not only to inflict maximum pain but also to humiliate the poor woman. There’s also a lot of rape, some victims as young as 14 years old.

It’s also quite tough on the men many of whom have been rendered impotent from the torture. There are even some disturbing stories of some of them being submerged in sewage and others being made to swallow sand. This makes the more common incidents of being stripped naked and beaten or made to lie on barbed wire sound like child’s play. But it’s a violation of human rights all the same.

What makes the situation so sad is that the same people they can report to are the ones responsible for all the violence.