John Makanga, a pharmacist, was arrested without warrant on 25 February 1993 at his pharmacy by plainclothes police who refused to identify themselves or say why they were arresting him. They reportedly beat him severely and took him to an undisclosed location. He appeared in a magistrate’s court in Nairobi on 1 March with new injuries, apparently the result of further beatings, and was charged with distributing seditious publications which accused the government of responsibility for ethnic clashes in western Kenya. His application for bail was refused and he was remanded in custody. AI is appealing for his immediate and unconditional release as he appears to be a prisoner of conscience.
