Mystery deepens as doctors find no physical injuries on activist Davis Lichuma

The disappearance of activist Davis Lichuma has taken a new twist after doctors found no signs of physical injury on his body, leaving investigators, relatives and political leaders searching for answers about what happened during the three days he was missing before resurfacing in hospital.

Medical assessments conducted after Lichuma was found confirmed that his organs were functioning normally and that there were no visible indications of physical assault. Even so, concerns remain over his condition, with family members saying he is still unable to explain where he was or what happened to him.

Lichuma reportedly went missing on June 25 and was later found at Kenyatta National Hospital on June 28. Since then, relatives say he has struggled to recount the events surrounding his disappearance, only mentioning pain in his wrist and leg.

His condition has prompted fresh calls for further examination, with family members and Opposition leaders arguing that the absence of physical injuries does not rule out the possibility that he underwent a traumatic ordeal.

A delegation of Opposition leaders who visited him in hospital said the activist's state raised serious concerns and warranted deeper investigation.

Among those who visited him were Siaya Governor James Orengo and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, both of whom questioned what may have happened to him during the period he was unaccounted for.

Orengo said experts would be needed to determine whether Lichuma had been subjected to forms of torture that leave no physical marks.

“There are aggressive ways of carrying out torture that are not observable, and we will need experts to tell us exactly what may have been done to this young man,” he said.

Kalonzo said the activist appeared to be battling the effects of psychological distress despite medical examinations showing no obvious bodily harm.

“Even though he does not have visible injuries and doctors have examined him, the greatest pain he appears to be suffering from is the trauma of torture because he is still not fully conscious,” he said.

The leaders linked Lichuma's case to wider concerns over alleged abductions and disappearances, saying authorities must establish exactly what happened.

“We must bring to an end what is happening in our country. Abductions should not happen in a free and fair democracy. The government should come out clearly and explain what happened,” Orengo said.

Kalonzo criticised what he described as continued reports of abductions despite government assurances that the practice would stop.

“Let me be clear: torture is a crime under the Rome Statute. Not a grey area. Not a political talking point. A crime,” he said.

“We have an administration that says on one hand that there will be no more abductions, yet abduction squads continue to operate unabated. We want to make it clear to President William Ruto that these crimes will not go unpunished.”

Attention also turned to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority, with Opposition leaders accusing the agency of failing to act decisively on allegations of police misconduct.

Kalonzo said evidence of alleged abuses already existed and challenged the authority to take action.

“IPOA, the evidence is sitting in front of you. A Kenyan - “Mr Speaker” is charged and dragged through court, yet the officer who fired the first bullet outside Parliament still walks free, uninvestigated. That is not justice. That is a double standard of wearing a uniform. Act. For once, act,” he said.

He further said documentation gathered through the People’s Restorative and Justice Commission would remain available as part of efforts to preserve accounts from affected families.

“We have surveyed, we have mapped, and through the People’s Restorative and Justice Commission, we have sat with families and recorded stories that no Kenyan should have to tell. That record will not disappear; it will be preserved, here and before the world,” he said.

Kalonzo also announced plans for a monument to be erected next to the Kenyatta Mausoleum near Parliament Buildings during Liberation Day commemorations to honour victims who lost their lives.

DAP-Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa said accountability had remained elusive despite claims that information on officers linked to alleged abuses was available.

“IPOA has these records, and the officers involved are known. What is lacking is the will to hold these officers accountable, and that is why the killings will continue as long as President Ruto’s administration protects these officers,” he said.

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru also urged the oversight authority to step up its work and address the growing public concern.

“IPOA, please do your job because you are making it very difficult for us to defend the government if these incidents continue to dominate the news every day,” she said.

The developments came as police said they were investigating all reported incidents of abduction and assault raised by civil society groups.

Lichuma has since been discharged from Nairobi Women’s Hospital, but questions surrounding his disappearance and what transpired during the days he was missing continue to linger.