Several high-profile crimes that occurred in Kenya in 2024 generated both popular interest and indignation.
These terrible incidents, which included femicides, horrifying murders, and gruesome kidnappings, had a lasting impact on the nation and served as a sobering reminder of its high crime rates.
Abductions and forced disappearances
In the wake of anti-government protests witnessed in the country this year, several cases of forced disappearances and abductions were reported.
Research released by the Kenyan National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) documented 1,376 arbitrary arrests, 610 injuries during demonstrations, and 74 cases of enforced disappearances.
This is all between June when the protests started and November 2024.
The human rights agency also indicated that 26 missing persons reported remain unaccounted for.
Online fraud
In November, 24 Kenyans were arrested over online credit card fraud targeting Kenyan financial institutions.
They were arrested in an international joint operation, alongside 900 other persons of interest arrested worldwide.
The operation dubbed Serengeti majorly targeted criminals behind digital extortion, online scams, business email compromise (BEC), and ransomware.
Femicides
Several cases of femicides rocked the country this year forcing relevant authorities to raise awareness over the alarming rates of the deaths.
At the start of the year, 26-year-old Scarlet Wahu was found brutally murdered in Nairobi’s South B.
Two weeks later, 20-year-old Rita Waeni Muendo was also found brutally murdered on January 14, 2024.
Her lifeless body was found dismembered at a
rental apartment in Roysambu area, Nairobi. Police found her head in a dam in Kiambu County, a week after her death.
Waeni met her killer on Instagram, where they communicated exclusively before her untimely demise.
Investigations revealed that her killer held her hostage demanding Ksh500,000 in exchange for her freedom.
Other femicide cases reported include the brutal murder of athlete Rebeca Cheptegei who was set on fire by her ex-boyfriend and Mercy Kwamboka’s death, among others.
