Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and other senior Police bosses/FILEInspector General Douglas Kanja has refuted any allegations of police involvement in the ongoing abductions in the country.
In a statement on Thursday, Kanja said that there is no police station in the country that is currently holding any of the persons reported to have been abducted.
“For avoidance of doubt, the National Police Service is not involved in any abduction, and there is no police station in the Country that is holding the reported abductees,” he said.
The IG added that the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) will probe the said abductions, as he called on members of the public with any useful information on the missing persons to report to the nearest police stations.
“The matter in question is subject to investigation by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority and any other independent body. We appeal to anybody with relevant information about any missing person to report to the nearest police station.”
The Inspector General’s statement follows public outcry over rising abduction incidents, particularly of young Kenyans, these past few days.
The latest incidents involve four men who are still missing. They include Bill Mwangi, Peter Muteti, Bernard Kavuli and a fourth that is yet to be identified.
Muteti is said to have been picked up by four men outside a kiosk in Uthiru at around 9am Saturday and bundled into a waiting vehicle, which sped off.
Witnesses said one of the men who grabbed the social media influencer was in police uniform.
Mwangi, on his part, is alleged to have been forcibly taken away from a barbershop in Embu by four masked armed men who were travelling in a double-cabin pickup truck.
The missing men are said to have posted offensive images of President William Ruto on their social media pages.
Kanja, in his statement, further warned that while the constitution grants freedom of expression, the freedom has its limitations.
He urged Kenyans to refrain from sharing false information on social media, aimed at tarnishing the good name of the police.
“Whereas Kenya is a democratic country that guarantees freedom of expression, freedom not only comes with certain limitations but should at all times be exercised with utmost responsibility. We therefore appeal to the public to refrain from spreading false, fabricated, malicious, distasteful, misinformed, and unverified information aimed at tarnishing the reputation and image of the National Police Service.”
