- The government of Kenya has denied its alleged involvement in the abduction of social media critics.
- Billy Mwangi, Peter Muteti, and Bernard Kavuli were abducted in separate locations and held incommunicado for being critical of government.
- Gedeon Kibet, alias Kibet Bull or Yoko, an X user and cartoonist known for using silhouettes to criticize political figures, was abducted on December 24, 2024. His brother, Roney, is also missing.
A spate of abductions in 2024 have placed the government of Kenya both on the domestic and international radar. With recent cases of abductions and forced disappearances targeting social media users, deemed hard-line government critics, the government has again come out gun-blazing, strongly refuting its alleged involvement.
The Kenyan government, through the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, has once again denied their involvement, claiming that arrests follow procedures while at the same time reiterating that freedom comes with limitations and should be exercised with the utmost responsibility, despite Kenya being a democratic state.
“The National Police Service is deeply concerned with the ongoing allegations that Police Officers are involved in abductions of persons in Kenya. For clarity, the Constitutional mandate of the National Police Service is not to abduct but to arrest criminal offenders,” stated Douglas Kanja, the Inspector General of Police.
“The procedure as per the Service Standing Orders informs that all arrests be recorded in the Occurrence Book for subsequent arraignment in court of law; otherwise, the suspects be released from the Police custody if they fail to meet the procedural threshold.”
“For avoidance of doubt, the National Police Service is not involved in any abduction, and there is no police station in the Country that is holding the reported abductees.”
The National Police Service has described the said allegations as falsehood, aimed at tarnishing it’s reputation, and has since appealed to the public to stop disseminating the information regarding it’s involvement.
“We therefore appeal to the public to refrain from spreading false, fabricated, malicious, distasteful, misinformed, and unverified information aimed at tarnishing the reputation and umage of the National Police Service.”
Recent Abductions Targeting Government’s Critics in Kenya
Ruto’s regime is reminiscent of a lost hope and confidence by the people, putting his policies on the frailty stand, accompanied by a solid benefit of doubt from the electorates who entrusted him with the presidency based on the campaign manifestos and the promised economic reforms.
The recent abductions targeting Gen Zs, using tech tactics, including silhouettes and artistic artificial intelligence images and videos on social media platforms, especially on X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, flaring beyond expectation, have triggered a panic mode in a regime that promised to uphold the rule of law.
With the abductees held incommunicado in undisclosed torture chambers, a reincarnate of Moism seemingly deploying various means to silence critics; even the opposition ranks who went through the same are beginning to unravel the political past, comparing it to the recent clampdown on unarmed dissents.
Amongst them, Raila Odinga, the AU Chairperson hopeful and a well-known political pundit, raised the alarm and criticised the government of Kenya for orchestrating forceful disappearances, arbitral arrests, and murders, instead presenting those whose actions are deemed detrimental to the progressiveness of Ruto’s regime.
Kalonzo Musyoka and Eugine Wamalwa, among others, have weighed their hot sentiments toward the abduction of young Kenyans, criticizing the government over it’s failed mandate to protect citizens. This comes in months following the Gen Z-led nationwide protests in June, July, and August, which almost ended Ruto’s presidency prematurely.
The recent abductions have sparked fear among families whose kin are at the forefront of scrutinizing the government’s failed projects, ethnic-based appointments, and the endemic corruption throttling critical service delivery to the people.
In December 2024, five critics have reportedly gone missing—blamed on police abductions, including Billy Mwangi, known for using AI images, who disappeared in Embu and Peter Muteti, who was abducted by armed men in Uthiru.
CCTV footage captured the abduction of Bernard Kavuli, with an unidentified man bundling him into a Pro Box car adjacent to a fuelling station.
Egerton University graduate, Gideon Kibet, also known as Kibet Bull or Yoko, an X (formerly Twitter) cartoonist who criticizes government figures through silhouettes, was abducted after visiting Senator Okiya Omtatah’s office on December 24, 2024. His brother Roney, staying in Kikuyu, who reportedly went missing a few days ago. Omtatah has called for unconditional release of Kibet.
