Questions persist after Police Inspector General Douglas Kanja dissociated the police force from the ongoing abductions in the country, despite reports suggesting the state’s involvement in these dreadful acts
In a statement on Thursday, Kanja affirmed that no police station in the nation is currently detaining the alleged abductees
“For clarity, the Constitutional duty of the National Police Service is not to abduct, but to arrest criminal offenders,” Kanja stated
Kanja also urged the public to avoid “spreading false, fabricated, malicious, distasteful, misinformed, and unverified information intended to damage the reputation and image of the National Police Service”
His response was triggered by a series of abductions resulting in four young men being reported missing; they are said to have been abducted
In the most recent case, cartoonist Kibet Bull, whose real name is Gideon Kibet, has been reported missing
His response was triggered by a series of abductions resulting in four young men being reported missing; they are said to have been abducted
In the most recent case, cartoonist Kibet Bull, whose real name is Gideon Kibet, has been reported missing
According to Kibet’s family, his brother Rony Kiplangat has also been missing since Saturday
Bernard Kavuli, Peter Muteti, and Billy Mwangi have also been reported missing, with footage showing them being forcibly taken circulating on media platforms
These four instances, however, are merely the beginning, as such incidents have been observed since the onset of the anti-government protests in June
An exclusive interview with Citizen TV highlighted the plight of two brothers from Kitengela – Jamil Longton and Aslam Longton – who went missing following protests on August 28; they were abducted outside their residence
The brothers recounted their experience of enduring thirty-two days of torture in what they described only as torture chambers, with Asmal stating that the rooms were constructed from very thick cardboard
“There was one short and muscular individual who arrived with a fiber cable and curtain rod that he used to beat me,” Jamil recounted
“We were provided with ugali, cabbage, and 300mls of water. The water was used for washing hands before and after meals, as well as for drinking. We had a five-liter bottle with the top cut off, which served as our toilet”
They were threatened with dire consequences if they disclosed any details of their abuse, asserting they will not shy away from recounting their harrowing experience
“We are not afraid to speak the truth. They threatened to kill us if we talked to the media. Only God knows how long we have left,” Asmal stated
More Kenyans have been abducted similarly by individuals in plain clothes, using mostly unmarked vehicles and, at times, armed. Some abductees have never had the chance to describe their ordeal and others remain unaccounted for
No police action
This also raises further questions about why no investigation has taken place regarding these abductions since June to identify those responsible for them
Security authorities and the abductees have never been called to provide testimony or face charges regarding this issue, raising the question of why the state has chosen to remain silent.
This is despite the fact that some of the daylight abductions have been recorded. Various CCTV clips of the incidents have revealed the identities of the assailants or the license plates of their vehicles. Yet, security agencies appear to ignore these particulars.
President William Ruto has even asserted that he has no knowledge of any abductions, and that no security agency is aware of any abductions occurring during the recent nationwide protests.
“If there is a family, any family whose child or relative attended a demonstration and never returned, I want to know their names. I will take firm and decisive action because as I stand here today, I do not have a single name of anyone who has been abducted or gone missing,” he stated at a town hall gathering on August 30.
Ruto’s commitment
Shortly after assuming office in 2022, President Ruto disbanded the Special Service Unit (SSU) of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
President Ruto stated that he ordered the disbandment of the elite unit as part of his strategy to combat extrajudicial killings in the nation.
Speaking on October 16, 2022, the Head of State remarked that the police unit had turned into executioners rather than guardians of the citizens.
“The country was very unsafe. The police transformed and became killers instead of protectors of ordinary Kenyans. I have mandated the disbandment of a Special Police unit that was arbitrarily killing Kenyans. We will improve this country,” Ruto declared.
In a similar vein, the abductions can be compared to the Nyayo House torture chambers during the regime of the late former President Daniel Arap Moi.
Specific patterns
With the police department distancing itself, it raises the question of who is responsible for these well-organized and targeted abductions if not individuals with sophisticated intelligence capabilities.
This technology, among other functions, can pinpoint a person’s location by tracking mobile devices.
The abductees have predominantly been taken from specific areas across the country, clearly indicating that they have either been followed or located.
A case in point is the abduction of veteran journalist Macharia Gaitho, who was taken from the Karen Police Station where he sought assistance after being obstructed by a private vehicle while leaving his residence.
He recounted that upon entering the Police Station, he noticed that two cars were following him, and unknown individuals forced him into a waiting white probox.
The strange kidnappers, Gaitho added, were questioning him about why he was resisting arrest, but he defended himself, stating, “I do not know who you are; you have not identified yourselves. “
“They took me along Lang’ata road until they reached the turn for Lang’ata south road where they halted, made a few calls I couldn’t identify but I sensed they were speaking with their superior,” he stated.
After extended discussions during the phone call, Gaitho mentioned that his captors reversed direction towards Karen and paused at a Shell petrol station in the Karen shopping centre.
One of the abductors exited the vehicle and made several phone calls, then shortly after requested Gaitho’s number, which he declined to provide.
“Following another lengthy phone call, they returned and the individual seated behind was instructed to release my handcuffs, then they informed me it was a case of mistaken identity and that I could leave,” he added, noting they transported him to the police station.
Gaitho speculated that his kidnapping was linked to his role as a columnist for Daily Nation.
“I am not the first individual to face abduction or arrest. It is evident that all these incidents are interconnected, indicating that the police are operating outside legal boundaries, and we must hold the blame where it rightly belongs. That rests with the government of Kenya, the director of DCI, and the National Police Service,” he asserted.
The kidnappers possessed handcuffs and demonstrated a communication hierarchy, suggesting they operated under a security authority.
Another case involved the abduction of a foreign national, Uganda’s opposition leader, Dr. Kizza Besigye, who was seized from an apartment on Riverside Drive in Nairobi on November 20 before being transported to a Ugandan military facility.
This event, which placed Kenya under scrutiny for human rights violations, raised concerns about how Besigye could be forcibly detained and transferred to Ugandan authorities in under 24 hours without the awareness of any police entities.
Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary Dr. Korir Sing’Oei even stated that the government was not involved and claimed it had allegedly not been informed about his visit to Nairobi, complicating local authorities’ ability to assist with his trip and provide extra security.
But who is in charge of this abduction paradise?
