Kenya's police watchdog has raised concerns about the high number of abductions of those who have criticised President William Ruto, allegedly carried out by police officers.
Kenya's Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) this week launched an investigation into the rising number of cases of abductions allegedly carried out by members of the National Police Service (NPS).
The move comes after reports of several young people allegedly abducted after criticising President William Ruto and his administration.
Four people were forcibly taken by armed men, allegedly for sharing AI-generated images of Ruto in a coffin, according to their family and local media.
Satirist Kibet Bull also went missing after meeting with a senator in Nairobi.
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According to New York-based NGO Human Rights Watch, Kenyan security forces "abducted, arbitrarily arrested, tortured and killed perceived leaders of the anti-Finance Bill protests between June and August 2024".
HRW added that: "Security officers held abductees, who they had detained without respecting their legal rights, in unlawful detention facilities, including in forests and abandoned buildings, and denied them access to their families and lawyers."
Finance bill
The protests gained momentum after the introduction of the Finance Bill 2024 in parliament on 18 June.
Protesters took to the streets over provisions that would raise taxes on essential goods and services, in order to meet International Monetary Fund revenue targets.
On 25 June, a large crowd broke through the parliament fence, where they encountered anti-riot police officers who fired directly at the crowd, killing several, says HRW.
The protesters overpowered the police and entered parliament through the back entrance, destroying furniture and other items, resulting in the subsequent crackdown and abductions.
Scattered anti-government protests in Kenya defy police bans
The NPS has documented 57 abductions since anti-government protests began in June, but it has repeatedly denied any involvement.
In a statement on Thursday, NPS Inspector-General Douglas Kanja said: "The National Police Service is not involved in any abduction, and there is no police station in the country holding the reported abductees."
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