The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has expressed concern about the increasing cases of abductions across the country. Since the anti-government protests in June 2024, 26 individuals remain missing, according to a statement released on Thursday.
KNCHR noted that these abductions are “carried out secretly by unidentified armed individuals.” It further highlighted that many of those abducted had been vocal critics on social media platforms.
In the past three months, the commission has documented 13 more cases of abductions or enforced disappearances, raising the total to 82 cases since June 2024.
“Seven of these cases were reported in December 2024, with six victims still missing. This brings the total number of people missing to 29 since June 2024,” the commission stated.
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Constitutional Concerns
KNCHR emphasized that these abductions are unconstitutional and urged authorities to address the issue urgently.
“If these patterns continue, we risk returning to the dark days of our history when such actions were used to instill fear in critics of the Government,” the commission warned.
The commission disputed a statement made by Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja on December 26, where he denied police involvement in the abductions. KNCHR urged the police to fulfill their duty of protecting citizens and to arrest suspects, especially as some abductions were recorded on CCTV during daylight hours.
Among the seven individuals abducted in December are:
- Steve Kavingo Mbisi
- Billy Wanyiri Mwangi
- Peter Muteti
- Bernard Kavuli
- Naomi
- Rony Kiplang’at
- Gideon Kibet, also known as Kibet Bull
The Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) has confirmed that it is investigating potential police involvement in these abductions.
“If any fault is found, the Authority will recommend prosecution, internal disciplinary action, or other appropriate measures. The findings and responses to these recommendations will be made public,” IPOA stated.
This issue continues to raise questions about security and human rights in Kenya.
