NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 26 – The National Police Service (NPS) has denied any involvement in the recent abductions of individuals critical of President William Ruto’s administration.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Inspector General Douglas Kanja emphasized that the police arrest criminal offenders through lawful procedures, not to abduct citizens.
“As per the Service Standing Orders, all arrests must [be] recorded in the Occurrence Book for subsequent arraignment in a court of law. If the procedural threshold [is] not met, suspects should [be] released from police custody,” Kanja stated.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the National Police Service is not involved in any abduction, and there is no police station in the country holding the reported abductees.”
Kanja reiterated that the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and other independent bodies are investigating the claims of abductions.
His remarks follow growing public concern over the rising number of young people reportedly abducted after criticizing President Ruto’s administration.
Secret crackdown
Critics have blamed unidentified individuals believed to be security operatives.
The operators anducted four individuals—Billy Mwangi, Peter Muteti, Bernard Kavuli, and Naomi— in Embu, Nairobi, and Kajiado counties over the weekend.
Kibet Bull, a satirist, was the latest victim who went missing after a meeting with Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah in Nairobi.
The victims, all active users of the social media platform X, had shared altered AI-generated images of President Ruto.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga condemned the abductions, describing them as “primitive and retrogressive.”
Odinga’s statement echoed calls from other leaders, including Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, urging the government to end the culture of enforced disappearances.
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