The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has documented 82 cases of abduction or enforced disappearance since January 2024, with 29 individuals still unaccounted for.
Alarmingly, 13 cases have been reported in the past three months alone, seven of which occurred in December. Of these, six individuals remain missing:
- Steve Mbisi (Machakos)
- Billy Mwangi (Embu)
- Peter Muteti (Nairobi)
- Bernard Kavuli (Nairobi)
- Gideon Kibet, also known as Kibet Bull (Nairobi)
- Rony Kiplang’at (Kiambu)
These abductions reportedly took place between December 17 and 25.
KNCHR Chairperson Roselyne Odede voiced grave concern over the escalating trend, warning that Kenya risks reverting to a dark era when abductions were used as a tool to suppress dissent. She called on the National Police Service (NPS) to uphold its mandate to ensure public safety, highlighting that some abductions occurred in broad daylight and were captured on CCTV.
“We remind the NPS of its constitutional duty to protect Kenyans from such violent acts. The open and brazen nature of these abductions, coupled with the lack of arrests, is deeply troubling,” Odede stated.
Odede urged Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to disclose the identities of those behind these abductions and ensure comprehensive investigations are conducted to bring the perpetrators to justice. She also demanded the immediate release or legal presentation in court of anyone unlawfully detained.
In response, IG Kanja denied police involvement in the disappearances, asserting:
“No police station is holding any of the reported missing persons. The matter is under investigation by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and other independent bodies. We encourage anyone with information on these cases to report to the nearest police station.”
KNCHR announced plans to file a Habeas Corpus petition, which would compel authorities to produce any detained individuals in court to assess the legality of their detention.
Odede further called for Kenya to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances. “As a member of the Human Rights Council, Kenya must lead by example and demonstrate its commitment to human rights,” she emphasized.
The ongoing abductions have sparked widespread outrage, with fears mounting of a resurgence of organized criminal networks targeting innocent civilians. Civil society groups, alongside KNCHR, continue to pressure the government to take decisive action to safeguard the safety and freedom of all citizens.
