According to Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, the National Police Service (NPS) has logged 57 abduction incidents since the youth-led rallies began on June 18, 2024.
The IG appeared before the Committee on Administration and Internal Security and denied accusations of police abducting and killing Kenyans associated to the protests, claiming that officers always make lawful arrests.
He cited incidents in which public figures like as activist Morara Kebaso, journalist Macharia Gaitho, and politician Jimi Wanjigi were arrested while adhering to the law.
According to the IG, 22 of the 57 instances have been found alive, 29 are still missing, and six were found dead.
“I’ve made it clear, police don’t abduct or kidnap, we detain and keep inside stations whereby investigations commence. Those found to meet the threshold of being taken to the court are arraigned while those who don’t are set free,” Kanja said.
Despite acknowledging that the anti-Finance Bill protests were intended to be peaceful, he noted that some of the suspects took the opportunity to cause violence and destroy property.
He noted that 1,552 suspects have since been arrested owing to the protests after the officers traced them through the CCTV footages.
Kanja termed the reports of police abductions from social media as ‘propaganda’, noting that the officers diligently carried out their duties.
“Some of the suspects caught on CCTV were not arrested immediately as the police gathered all the required information. Later on they were arrested and brought before a court of law,” the IG noted.
The IG confirmed that the majority of the missing cases are still active as they are pending more information to be provided.
He referenced the case of Wajir MCA Yussuf Hussein who has been missing since September 13, 2024.
“So far, after the report was made, we have carried out our investigations and it remains active. We have not gotten additional information of his (Hussein’s) whereabouts. We are still appealing to the members of the public with information that can assist us to come forward,” he noted.
Kanja’s remarks come amid concerns raised by the public over police brutality meted on its citizens who were linked to the protests.
Videos shared online show police bundling various Kenyans into cars before speeding off and taken into unknown locations. Some of the suspects show up days later in police stations, while others vanish.
Further, the international community have also voiced concerns over recent abductions, appealing to police officers to follow the law when carrying out arrests.
