The following is based on communications sent by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and other UN experts to the Governments of Kenya and the United States of America, as well as US-domiciled company Fresh Del Monte on 23 January 2026. The communications remained confidential for 60 days before being made public, giving the authorities and the company time to reply. Regrettably, no response has been received. If a response is received, it will be posted on the UN Special Procedures communications database.
Since the communication was sent, threats against Mr. Kamau have reportedly continued.
This is a shorter version of the original communication.
BACKGROUND
Topic: the alleged intimidation and harassment of, threats to, forced closure of business interests of and destruction of property of Mr. Clement Muiruri Kamau in the context of his monitoring and exposure of alleged human rights violations in Murang’a County, Kenya.
Mr. Clement Muiruri Kamau is chairman of the Kagama Community Action Forum (KCAF), a community-based organisation located in Murang’a County, which documents alleged human rights abuses in the surrounding areas, including on an 22,000-acre pineapple plantation owned by the US-domiciled food production and distribution company Del Monte Foods Inc (Del Monte) in Thika. Public roads run through the plantation. The KCAF has recorded hundreds of alleged human rights violations carried out by private security guards at the farm. Mr. Kamau has been a key source of information and visit-facilitator since 2022 for a number of international media organisations reporting on these alleged violations, including the Guardian and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ).
ALLEGATIONS
On various occasions over the past three years, Mr. Kamau has been subjected to threats, harassment, physical attack, closure of his business interests and destruction of his property, in apparent retaliation for his work monitoring alleged human rights violations, supporting victims of alleged violations and collaborating with international media organisations to expose such violations. In particular, his assistance to journalists working with the Guardian and TBIJ on an investigation into deaths at the Del Monte farm appears to have exacerbated the risks he faces. The joint media investigations, the first article of which was published in June 2023, examined four deaths allegedly linked to Del Monte security guards. The four individuals had reportedly gone to the farm to steal pineapples.
A series of follow-up stories examined further alleged human rights violations, including killings, at the farm. In July and August 2023, the KCAF wrote to a number of UK-based supermarkets which stocked Del Monte pineapples sourced from Kenya informing them of the alleged human rights violations at the Del Monte plantation. The following year, several of those supermarkets stopped stocking Del Monte Kenya products. That same year, Del Monte created a new role of ‘human rights manager’ on its Thika plantation, in response to the allegations made in the reporting facilitated by Mr. Kamau. Further human rights abuses linked to Del Monte’s private security guards were alleged and reported on in 2024 and 2025, with Mr. Kamau again playing a key role in guiding and interpreting for journalists and documenting evidence.
On 29 August 2023, during the period in which he was cooperating with the media outlets on their investigation, Mr. Kamau received an anonymous text message warning him to “keep media out of Del Monte farm” and that he should not “blame us in case of anything”. He received a second message from the same number on 9 October 2023, which stated: “We kindly requested you to desist but seem not to. Don’t say you were never warned.” Mr. Kamau reported these messages to Ngoingwa Police Station in Thika. It is not known whether any action was taken.
On 24 and 25 December 2023, Mr. Kamau was part of a search party trying to locate a further four men who had disappeared from the area around the Del Monte plantation in the preceding days. The four had allegedly been on the farm to steal pineapples. Their bodies were found in the Chania River on 24 and 25 December 2023. While assisting family members in retrieving the bodies from the river, Mr. Kamau was allegedly offered a bribe by the-then head of the local Ngati Police Station if he helped “slow down the case”. Ngati Police Station is located within the area of the pineapple fields. When he refused the bribe, Mr. Kamau was warned of “dire consequences” and told that he would soon be added to the “agenda” of the Government.
On the night of 24 February 2024, as Mr. Kamau drove home from a friend’s house along the Thika-Kenol Highway, a black SUV which had been following him and flashing its lights swerved in front of him, causing Mr. Kamau to crash into another car. Although Mr. Kamau escaped on foot and hid, physical evidence pertaining to a human rights abuse petition relating to alleged violations at the Del Monte farm, which he would file at the Thika High Court, was stolen by unknown assailants. Mr. Kamau reported this incident to the Thika Police Station and Ndururumo Police Station, Gatanga on 27 February 2024. He has not been informed of any investigation which has taken place nor has he been returned any of his stolen items.
On 8 March 2024, the Marang’a Deputy County Commissioner allegedly issued a verbal order to shut down Mr. Kamau’s business, the Fine Touch Club, which was located on his family property. The premises also served as KCAF’s headquarters. Both operations were forcibly shuttered, resulting in loss of business and loss of office space for KCAF. KCAF had consistently recorded alleged human rights violations by private security guards at the Del Monte farm in the preceding years. On issuing the order at Mr. Kamau’s premises, the Commissioner allegedly publicly claimed that Mr. Kamau was a “threat to community peace” and accused him of inciting local youths against Del Monte and encouraging pineapple theft.
On 1 April 2024, Mr. Kamau was one of a number of named petitioners who filed a constitutional petition against Del Monte at Thika High Court. The suit sought to hold Del Monte responsible for alleged killing and violence by security guards at the plantation. The case was dismissed on 6 February 2025 for “lack of jurisdiction”.
On 23 October 2024, Mr. Kamau, along with a KCAF lawyer and three staff members of another non-governmental organisation, went to the offices of the Deputy County Commissioner to brief the Commissioner on the petition KCAF, the other non-governmental organization and others had filed against Del Monte at the Thika High Court. The lawyer representing KCAF also urged the Commissioner to permit Mr. Kamau to reopen his Fine Touch Club business and the KCAF offices. Shortly after the meeting concluded, the Commissioner allegedly telephoned Mr. Kamau and reprimanded him for bringing people to the offices, telling him that he would “deal with” him accordingly. He further allegedly said, “We will not allow you to continue ruining the names of multination corporations here”. Mr. Kamau subsequently reported this threat to the Kenol Police Station, who referred him to the Area Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD), because the allegation referred to a senior official. After calling the Commissioner in Mr. Kamau’s presence in relation to the allegation, the OCPD allegedly said to Mr. Kamau, “for your own safety, just let this go. There is no need to create enmity with these powerful people; they will simply finish you”.
In 2022 Mr. Kamau invested 5,000,000 Kenyan Shillings (c 38,760 USD) to construct and open a restaurant for police officers within the grounds of Kabati Police Station to run as a business interest. He was also contracted to provide meals for detainees. In what is believed to be an act of retaliation for his human rights work, the OCPD, based at Kandara Sub County Administrative Office, refused in October 2024 to sign a cheque for services provided in the previous year.
On 29 October 2024, Mr. Kamau was informed that the funds had been released for payment. When Mr. Kamau’s wife went to the Kandara Sub County Administrative Office to collect the payments, she was refused service. She returned the following day, only to be allegedly told by the OCPD to get paid “by the media”. The money was not provided.
Later that same day, 30 October 2024, the OCPD accompanied by five armed police officers, arrived at Kabati Police Canteen and served Mr. Kamau’s wife a termination notice for her and her husband’s business contract, telling her that she and her husband would “face the music”. The order was signed by the OCPD and cited a letter from the Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya Police Service, but evidence of such a letter was not provided, nor was any reason given for the contract termination. The reported presence of five armed police officers along with a high-ranking officer to serve an administrative notice also appeared highly unusual. The business premises were demolished on 17 December 2025, without any prior formal notice, avenue for appeal or administrative hearing. No compensation has been provided to Mr. Kamau.
The closure of this business and the demolition of the property, coupled with the closure of Mr. Kamau’s other business, the Fine Touch Club, left him and his wife without an income, which led to a redemption notice for the sale of his family properties, some of which had been provided as collateral for a bank loan.
In December 2024, in response to ongoing intimidation and harassment, Mr. Kamau temporarily relocated to a safe house.
In September 2025, Mr. Kamau was informed by a former police officer that he was under police surveillance and that his network of contacts and sources was being investigated. On 22 September 2025, Mr. Kamau was abducted by a number of men, some of whom claimed to be police officers, while he was at the site of his former business, the Fine Touch Club. He was forced into the boot of a car and driven for approximately two hours before being released on the outskirts of Thika town. On releasing him, his abductors warned him to end his opposition to the levelling of a football pitch and volleyball court, used by local youth but at risk of suspected land-grabbing. Mr. Kamau did not file a police report for fear of further retaliation.
CONCERNS
In the communication, we express grave concern at the alleged intimidation and harassment of, threats to and forced closure of business interests of Mr. Kamau. These measures appear to have been taken in retaliation for his work helping to expose alleged human rights violations, including at the Del Monte pineapple plantation in Thika, as well as for exercising his right to freedom of expression, including expressing his views opposing the levelling of sports facilities and other projects by a private company.
We are concerned by the reported lack of effective investigations into incidents of harassment, intimidation, verbal abuse, and other violations, allegedly experienced by Mr. Kamau, as well as the persistent failure to hold perpetrators accountable. We are further concerned by the apparent failure of the police force to provide protective measures for Mr. Kamau.
