Former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga has condemned the current wave of abduction, putting blame squarely on the government.
Responding to Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah on Thursday, December 26, 2024, Mutunga said the government had failed to guarantee Kenyans security and property rights.
“A Government that cannot guarantee the security of its citizens, and their rights to their property, has no legitimacy to rule. Worse still is when the government itself is implicated in abductions, false arrests, malicious prosecutions, and extrajudicial executions,” Mutunga said.
This comes after Omtatah called on Kenyans to help find X user @Kibet_bull who has been reported abducted by unknown people.
“We have done our best to try and find @Kibet_bull since learning that he’s missing. I led teams in conducting searches in police stations yesterday, spoke with persons of interest, reported the matter to the police, obtained information about the Subaru Forester mounted with communication equipment, ran the plate number details through the NTSA website, established that the plates were fake, and even reached out to the family. If you have information that can help us find @Kibet_bull kindly come forward and help us get to the bottom of this matter,” Omtatah said.
Police deny involvement
Responding to allegations of abductions, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja denied any involvement by the police in the abductions.
Kanja emphasized that the mandate of the National Police Service is to arrest offenders, not abduct individuals.
“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,” Kanja said.
He further clarified that no police station in the country was detaining the missing individuals and urged the public to avoid spreading false information that could harm the police force’s reputation.
“Whereas Kenya is a democratic country that guarantees freedom of expression, freedom not only comes with certain limitations but should at all times be exercised with utmost responsibility,” Kanja added.
