Abductions must end! US joins calls for respect for rule of law in Kenya

Nairobi Chargé d’Affaires Marc Dillard/ HANDOUT

In a statement on Tuesday, Nairobi Chargé d’Affaires Marc Dillard called for respect for the rule of law and end to the abductions.

He said this while mourning former US President Jimmy Carter, who he said championed human rights across the globe.

“In the spirit of his legacy, we join the calls in Kenya for accountability and respect for rule of law. Abductions must end,” he said.

The recent abductions have raised alarm in the country, with the Kenya National Commission in Human Rights (KNCHR) saying since the anti-government protests in June, "unidentified armed individuals" have kidnapped at least 82 people, with 29 still missing.

In December alone, six people have been abducted and their whereabouts remain unknown even after the court issued an Habeas Corpus order for them to be produced in court on Tuesday.

The six include Peter Muteti, Bernard Kavuli, Billy Mwangu, Gideon Kibet, Ronny Kiplangat and Steve Kavingo.

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 Ruto on their social media pages.

Several rights groups, including Amnesty International, have accused the police force of being responsible for the abductions.

The police have however denied any involvement, with Inspector General Douglas Kanja saying they arrest not abduct.

"The National Police Service is deeply concerned with the ongoing allegations that police officers are involved in abductions of persons in Kenya,” he said.

“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.”

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 Law Society of Kenya (LSK) said the denials by Kanja were "insufficient," calling for him to take clear action against the kidnappers or resign.

"If indeed the police are not complicit, they must investigate and prosecute those responsible,” LSK said.