THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION WEIGHS IN ON THE CONTINUED DETENTION OF THE KAUMBA BROTHERS

The Human Rights Commission (HRC/Commission) wishes to inform stakeholders that it has been actively following up the case involving the two Luanshya-based brothers by the names of Ernest Kaumba, aged 22, and Elijah Kaumba, aged 26 who have been in police custody since 3rd October 2024.
The Commission established that the duo was arrested by the Zambia Police Service on 3rd October 2024 in Luanshya and after completing formalities of arresting them in Luanshya, they were driven at night to Ridgeway Police Post in Lusaka where they have been in detention since 4th October 2024.
Further, the Commission established through inspection of the record entered in the Arrested Persons’ Property Book and speaking to the two brothers that after giving warn and caution statements, the suspects were charged with an offence of seditious practices.
The Commission has been engaging the Zambia Police Service and the National Prosecution Authority to ensure that the two suspects were either granted police bond or were taken to court in accordance with the due process of the law. The Commission has also been occasionally visiting the two suspects to assess the state of their human rights and explaining to them their rights and responsibilities.
Having adequately engaged various authorities over this matter, the Commission demands
that the two Kaumba brothers should either be granted police bond or be taken before the courts of law without any further delay.
The continued detention of the Kaumba brothers without police bond or trial constitutes a violation of their rights to liberty and to the due process of the law and must be redressed immediately by either granting them police bond or talking them to court.