Armed attackers stormed the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) offices in Nairobi on Sunday, disrupting a press conference organised by a group of Kenyan mothers ahead of the Saba Saba demonstrations.

The group, believed to have been sent with a mission to stop the meeting, forced their way into the premises along Gitanga Road and shouted down the event, claiming the gathering was meant to mobilise for the July 7 protests.

“This sent those present scampering for their safety,” witnesses said, adding that some were robbed in the chaos. Journalists covering the event also lost personal property, while the attackers made away with electronic items from the offices.

KHRC had convened the meeting to highlight the concerns of mothers in the lead-up to Saba Saba, a day that marks a historic pro-democracy movement in Kenya. The Commission condemned the violent intrusion and said the attack was a direct assault on civic space and the right to free assembly.

Police were notified and said investigations into the incident have been launched.

In a separate but related matter, KHRC also protested the deportation of its Senior Programme and Legal Advisor on Transitional Justice, Martin Mavenjina, under circumstances the organisation has described as unlawful and politically motivated.

According to the commission, Mavenjina landed in Nairobi on Saturday night around 10 pm from an official trip to South Africa but was forcibly deported to Uganda shortly after arrival, despite holding valid work documents.

“The officer in charge of transitional justice holds valid documentation allowing him to work in Kenya. His deportation is not only unlawful but part of a larger scheme to silence human rights defenders,” the Commission said in a statement.

The organisation further accused the government of leading a targeted crackdown on civil society voices.

“Since June 25, the regime has been deliberately targeting human rights defenders, and Mavenjina's deportation is part of their broader strategy to suppress dissent,” KHRC added.

The government had not issued any explanation by Sunday evening.

KHRC said it would pursue all legal and diplomatic options to secure Mavenjina’s safe return and protect the rights of activists facing growing threats.