“Nobody is Safe:” Kenya’s Abduction Epidemic Proliferates

Bob Njagi cannot forget the screams of his fellow abductees that echoed at night as he sat blindfolded and handcuffed. 

Njagi, a political activist leading the Free Kenya Movement, was kidnapped from a public bus driving from Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, to his hometown in mid-August. He was dragged into a white vehicle by four hooded men, tortured and taken to a building where he remained in a room alone. He was fed just once a day. 

Kenya has an abduction problem: since the anti-government protests across the country in June, at least 82 people have been kidnapped, and 29 are still missing. Some have been found dead, their bodies dumped on the road. 

The disappearances appear to follow a similar pattern and target people who have been critical of the government. In December, at least three people were abducted following the circulation of AI-generated images of Kenyan President William Ruto in a coffin. 

The same month, Ruto blamed the parents of kidnappers for not raising their children responsibly. “I want to urge all parents that our children are a blessing from God and you should take care of them and the government will do our part,” he said. 

Over a month after he was abducted, Njagi was dropped on the side of the road. When he finally took off the blindfold, he had no idea where he was. He claims the drivers had told him they were serving the Kenyan government. Disorientated and barely able to speak, he eventually found his way back home. 

“I was terrified, my voice was gone, I was so traumatized and shocked,” he told OCCRP. “ I am still integrating myself back to my normal life but it’s not easy.”  

Many Kenyans, including Njagi, believe the numbers of abductees are way higher than reported. “The numbers are total lies. There are many more bodies and many more missing,” Njagi said. “Nobody is safe.” 

The abductions have continued into the new year. On Sunday, Maria Sarungi Tsehai, a prominent Tanzanian journalist and government critic, was kidnapped by three hooded men while leaving a hair salon in Nairobi, where she was living in exile. Several hours later she was released. The same day, Justin Muturi, former Attorney General of Kenya under Ruto, also revealed that his son had been “abducted and disappeared” in June. He had been released the following day and never received any further information. 

“We wish to reassure the public that most of the abduction cases that were reported to the Police have been successfully investigated and are now pending before court,” the Kenyan Police said in a press statement later on Sunday. The force affirmed its “steadfast commitment” to ensuring that all abductions cases were investigated and “the culprits brought to book.”

Meanwhile, Tsehai’s case is the latest in a string of kidnappings of foreigners in Kenya. In November, Ugandan opposition politician Kizza Besigye was abducted alongside his aide in Nairobi and transported back to Kampala where they were charged in military court.

Last week, 25 Kenyan legislators called for the creation of an independent commission to look into abductions targeting government critics. Kenya's high court has ordered the country's top policeman to appear on January 27 for questioning over recent abductions, or be charged with contempt.

The U.S. State Department has called for "transparent investigations and accountability in the wake of a reported rise in abductions and enforced disappearances." The U.K. ambassador to Kenya has also demanded immediate investigations into recent abductions. 

On Sunday, the International Criminal Court confirmed it had received over 50,000 petitions from Kenyans accusing Ruto of committing crimes against humanity, including abductions. 

Meanwhile, Njagi claims he is still being trailed by vehicles in Nairobi. “They are trying to intimidate us into silence,” he said. “We need the international community to know what is happening in Kenya.”