The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has expressed deep concern over the growing number of abductions in the country, highlighting that 26 individuals have been missing since the anti-government protests in June.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the KNCHR noted that these abductions often occur in secret, with unidentified armed individuals behind the acts.
The Commission pointed out that many of those targeted have been outspoken critics of the government on social media.
To date, KNCHR has documented a total of 82 cases of abductions and enforced disappearances, with 13 of these incidents occurring in the past three months.
December alone saw seven new cases, six of which remain unresolved, raising the total number of people missing since June to 29.
“The continued abductions are a violation of our constitutional rights and must be addressed urgently,” said the KNCHR.
The Commission warned that if such practices persist, Kenya could be regressing to a time when abductions were used as a tool of intimidation against those who opposed the government.
KNCHR also responded to comments made by Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, who claimed that the police were not responsible for the abductions.
The Commission disagreed, stating that the police must remain vigilant in their duty to protect citizens and ensure arrests are made, especially as some of these abductions have occurred in broad daylight and were even captured on CCTV footage.
The recent disappearances include individuals such as Steve Kavingo Mbisi, Billy Wanyiri Mwangi, Peter Muteti, Bernard Kavuli, Naomi, Rony Kiplang’at, and Gideon Kibet (also known as Kibet Bull), who were abducted in December.
Meanwhile, the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) has announced that it has deployed teams to investigate whether police officers are involved in the abductions.
“If any wrongdoing is found, we will recommend prosecution, internal disciplinary action, or any other appropriate measures.
We will also make public the responses to these recommendations,” IPOA stated.
The rising cases of abductions continue to spark public concern, with many calling for swift action to prevent further disappearances and ensure accountability for those responsible.
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