The High Court has postponed issuing directions in a habeas corpus application filed over the disappearance of Abdulaziz Zizou after the applicant’s legal team sought to have the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) formally joined to the proceedings.
The application was mentioned before Justice Alexander Muteti at the Milimani Law Courts, where counsel for the applicant argued that both institutions have a direct interest in the matter, having received complaints relating to Zizou’s disappearance.
The court heard that members of Zizou’s family reported the alleged disappearance to IPOA, prompting the registration of a complaint for investigation. A separate complaint was also lodged with KNCHR, with the applicant relying on the commission’s constitutional mandate to investigate alleged human rights violations.
Counsel Abner Mango submitted that the case raises concerns over alleged breaches of constitutional protections, including freedom from torture and the right to seek a writ of habeas corpus. The lawyer argued that the participation of IPOA and KNCHR would assist the court in determining the facts surrounding Zizou’s whereabouts.
Justice Muteti observed that the two bodies could not participate in the proceedings unless they were first formally admitted to the case, either as substantive parties or as interested parties through an application before the court.
Mango subsequently informed the court that a formal application to enjoin IPOA and KNCHR would be filed within the week for the court’s consideration.
The matter is scheduled for further directions on July 30, 2026.
