Recent months have seen a surge in reports of abductions in Kenya, with many cases involving individuals who were critical of the government or its policies. The most recent case was on Sunday evening when Tanzania activist Sarungi Tsehai was abducted in Nairobi before being released after more than 24 hours.
This followed several other abductions that have been witnessed in the country in the past month saw Billy Mwangi, Kibet Bull, Peter Muteti, and Ronny Kiplangat get abducted for several weeks before a countrywide uproar led to their release last week.
Controversial politician GK Malema has pointed an accusing finger at the head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations’ Operation Support Unit (OSU) Zachary Kariuki, a Commissioner of Police, and other law enforcers whom he promised to name soon.
Kariuki who was supposed to have retired in November 2024 is believed to be in good books with the DCI Director Mohamed Ibrahim Amin, having been his long-time personal driver when Mr Amin was the head of the Banking Fraud Unit (BFU), a reason why he has illegally extended his retirement date with no one raising a voice in the force.
Kariuki was later to become a driver of the late third President of Kenya, Mwai Kibaki.
According to top police officers who sought anonymity, Kariuki who is a trained driver, is ill-equipped to head the OSU and given that he has attained his retirement age, he should exit the scene.
Last year, The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) recommended that Kariuki, a Commissioner of Police (CP) and some of his six juniors be charged with torturing and wounding businessman Abdulahi Abdille Isaack.
According to the statement by the victim, he was injured on various parts of his body including his wrists, private parts, left leg, scalp, and eyes.
The officers are further accused of taking the victim’s national ID, Sh1.04 million in cash from his vehicle on the day of his arrest, and later another Sh900,000.
“In light of the foregoing, we find that there is sufficient evidence to sustain a charge of torture against the following officers; Commissioner of Police Zachary Kariuki, Chief Inspector Alexander Makoma, Sergeant Francis Singila, and Constables Ronald Chemosit, Gabriel Kuria, Jeremiah Chumba and Julius Lemayan,” a letter signed by Senior Assistant DPP Tabitha Ouya states.
The officers are said to have arrested Abdille on June 24 last year at Total petrol station in Hurlingham Nairobi where he had gone to buy medicine from a pharmacy.
They beat him forced him into their vehicle and tortured him for days and was later admitted to a hospital for days.
According to the Police Medical Examination report, the degree of injury was classified as grievous harm. The ODPP in the letter to the IG observed that the victim was tortured to force him to confess to committing robbery with violence.
After being discharged from the hospital, he was charged in court with what he termed trumped-up charges. For the DCI’s specialized unit, it appears that the more things change the more they remain the same.
In the last five years, the unit has been overhauled and renamed two times.
The initial Flying Squad was in late 2019 disbanded by the then DCI boss George Kinoti following reports that it was not ineffective and people-friendly, and also riddled by corruption.
Kinoti then formed the Special Services Unit (SSU) which was headed by the current Madera DCI boss Pius Gitari. The unit undertook various successful security operations across the country but would later be implicated in the abduction and subsequent murder of two Indian IT specialists -Mohamed Zaid Sami Kidwai and Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan -and their driver Nicodemus Mwania on July 25 last year.
On September 15 the then-acting Inspector General Noor Gabow directed the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) to launch investigations into the abduction. The Unit was later disbanded and a leaner OSU was formed, headed by Kariuki.
Kariuki and his juniors have now also been implicated in torture claims.
When the matter was first reported by the media last year, the DCI headquarters dismissed the reports, saying the victim was a habitual fraudster and was part of Nairobi’s nefarious gold scammers and money laundering syndicate.
Under the Prevention of Torture Act, 2017 torture means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person to, among other things, obtain information or confession from them.
Any person who tortures another person commits an offense and shall be liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 25 years.
The OSU, which was formed in October 2022 had also been investigated concerning the killing of two of the suspects said to have been involved in the Muranga Unaitas Sacco heist. Detectives from that Unit had joined their colleagues in Muranga following the robbery.
At least 82 Kenyans have disappeared since protests began in June, including six in the past two weeks. Many people in Kenya fear that the ongoing abductions pose a serious threat to national security.
Kenyan youth demanding a stronger economy and a brighter future have been protesting with government forces since June.
The violence on the streets of Nairobi and other parts of the country has largely abated in recent months following a series of symbolic initiatives by President William Ruto.
But the story of the youth protesters is far from over: What many did not anticipate was that, months later, protesters would find themselves still fighting for their own freedom and security—perhaps more so than before.
At least 82 Kenyans have gone missing since the Gen-Z protests began in June, with six people reportedly abducted in the past two weeks.
The people who disappeared are believed to be in the custody of security agents, although the police have denied any involvement in the abductions. Security analyst and former national security agent George Musamali told DW that politically motivated abductions are far from a new phenomenon in the region.
“About a month ago, we witnessed the abduction of Ugandan politician Kizza Besigye, who was deported back to Uganda [from Kenya]. Similarly, there were cases of people from Turkey who were abducted in Kenya and sent back to Turkey. This is a worrying trend that demands answers,” he said.
The disappearances seem to display a strategic pattern, targeting individuals who have been critical of the government, particularly those who have voiced their opposition on social media platforms like X.
“Many of these individuals were key figures in the protests of June,” Musamali added.
Political analyst and activist Jim India told DW that, despite the police and government’s denials of involvement, credible sources have suggested that law enforcement officials were involved in the detentions.
“Historically, especially during protests, detainees have been released by the police, which creates a clear connection between the abductions and law enforcement,” India said.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) in a statement said that they continue to monitor with concern the worrying pattern of abductions in several parts of our country. The Commission notes that these abductions are perpetuated clandestinely, with unidentified armed persons. The Commission further notes that those abducted have been vocal dissidents, particularly on social platforms.