Kisii County Senator Richard Onyonka has called for the immediate release of individuals allegedly abducted in recent weeks, demanding their unconditional freedom within 12 hours. The senator’s statement follows a disturbing rise in abductions across the country, with at least seven young people reported missing since December 17, 2024.
Onyonka, joining other concerned leaders and citizens, warned that failure to release the abducted persons would lead to a demonstration, invoking Article 37 of Kenya’s 2010 Constitution, which allows for peaceful protests. “If not, Kenyans of goodwill have an obligation under Article 37 to demonstrate,” Onyonka emphasized, highlighting the urgency of the matter.
The call for action comes amid troubling reports from the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), which has documented 82 abductions since June 2024, with 29 individuals still unaccounted for. Over the past three months alone, 13 cases of abductions have been reported, and while one person has been found, the others, including Steve Mbisi, Billy Mwangi, and Gideon Kibet, remain missing.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, in his response, urged families affected by the abductions to report the incidents to the police with precise details, promising full support for law enforcement to investigate the disappearances. Murkomen assured the public that thorough investigations would be conducted to determine the whereabouts of the missing individuals.
In a related development, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has alleged the existence of a covert unit responsible for the abductions. Gachagua claimed that this unit operates outside the oversight of the Inspector General of Police, further escalating concerns about the involvement of rogue elements within state security agencies. He vowed to disclose the identities of the unit’s operators if the situation remains unaddressed.
As the 12-hour deadline looms, Onyonka’s warning highlights the growing frustrations over abductions in Kenya and the public’s call for accountability.
