Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo has weighed in on the thorny issue of youth abductions witnessed in the country.
Speaking during an interview with a local TV station on Thursday, January 30, 2025, the outspoken politician shared that the cure for abductions is letting the public arrest the abductors since the police have denied their involvement in the acts.
He highlighted that he public should come out in large numbers to defend anyone being abducted.
In particular, Maanzo mentioned that the public should arrest the abductors and present them to police.
“The cure for abductions is to let the public to make arrests of this abductors, now that the police have denied involvement. Let the public come out in large numbers to help anybody being abducted to make sure we arrest and present this abductors to the police,” he said.
IPOA on abductions
Maanzo’s remarks come a day after the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) revealed its incapacity to investigate abduction cases.
IPOA chairman Ahmed Isaac Hassan stated that despite strong public suspicion of the police involvement in the abduction cases, Police IG Douglas Kanja has denied their involvement thus preventing the authority from initiating formal investigations.
“When you have people in hoods, using fake number plates while abducting people and taking them to different places, it becomes an issue that even police themselves must investigate,” he said.
The authority’s CEO Elena Halake echoed his sentiments noting that they had accessed the link between police and abductions and presented the findings in court.
“The investigations are ongoing as you are aware this is a matter that is still in court, we have already presented the preliminary findings in court,” he added.
Halake also decried challenges faced by the authority including a shortage of officers, resistance from police, who they claim hinder their access to police stations when accessing misconduct cases.
