President William Ruto has denied that any Kenyan remains missing under suspicious circumstances, even as human rights groups continue to raise alarm over a spike in alleged abductions.
“All the people who disappeared or were abducted have been brought back to their homes,” Mr Ruto said on Monday. “I have given clarity that nothing of that nature will happen again.”
He made the remarks during a joint press briefing at State House with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who is in the country on a three-day official visit.
The President’s comments follow weeks of growing public unease over the fate of several individuals reportedly taken by unknown persons often in unmarked vehicles and with no official explanation.
A Troubling History
While the President sought to reassure the public, questions linger. Kenya has for years battled a reputation for police abuses, including enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings often targeting young men in poor neighborhoods.
A May report by Missing Voices, a local rights coalition, documented at least 55 cases of enforced disappearances in 2024 alone. Between 2019 and 2024, the organisation says over 970 Kenyans were either killed or disappeared under unclear circumstances.
The group did not immediately respond to the President’s claims that all missing persons had now returned home.
“We want to see evidence,” said a Nairobi-based human rights lawyer, who asked not to be named for security reasons. “Families are still searching for answers. Blanket assurances are not enough.”
No Names, No Answers
Mr Ruto did not provide details about who was behind the abductions or how the individuals were returned to their families. Nor did he name those who had been missing, making it difficult to independently verify his statement.
Still, he insisted his administration had taken concrete steps to prevent such cases from recurring.
“There is an accountability mechanism to ensure such situations are addressed,” he said. “As a democracy, Kenya will not go back to the dark days when citizens disappeared and their bodies were found in all manner of places.”
Police Reforms Under Scrutiny
One of the key measures the President pointed to was his decision to grant financial and operational independence to the National Police Service. “That was my first step as president,” he said. “We cannot have a police service that depends on political signals.”
The reform was intended to remove political interference from the force’s day-to-day operations. But critics argue that without strong oversight, autonomy may do little to prevent abuses.
“Independence without accountability is a recipe for impunity,” said Wilfred Olal of the Social Justice Centres Working Group. “We’ve seen too many families left with graves instead of answers.”
Public Still Wary
As the President spoke of democracy and accountability, a few dozen protesters gathered silently outside Parliament, holding photos of missing relatives.
Among them was Mary Nduta, whose 27-year-old son vanished last October after being picked up by men who identified themselves as police. She says she has not heard from him since.
“I want to believe the President. I really do,” she said. “But where is my son?”
For now, that question like many others surrounding Kenya’s record on disappearances remains unanswered.
