By Ebi Kesiena
Kenya’s High Court on Wednesday ordered the country’s top police officer to appear for questioning over a fresh wave of abductions that have sparked widespread outrage.
Dozens of people have been kidnapped and held incommunicado since major anti-government protests last year, which triggered a political crisis for President William Ruto.
A new spate of disappearances over the Christmas holiday prompted rights groups to file a court case against the police and government, demanding information on the whereabouts of six missing young men.
At least two of the victims were reportedly abducted after sharing AI-generated images of Ruto in a coffin.
Five of the six were released on Monday, but no details were provided regarding who had taken them or where they had been held.
Although the police deny any involvement, rights groups have blamed a shadowy unit comprising members of the police, intelligence, counterterrorism, and other agencies.
The Nairobi court ruled on Wednesday that Inspector General Douglas Kanja must appear at the next hearing on January 27 or face charges of contempt.
Among those kidnapped and later released was Bernard Kavuli, who appeared at the hearing looking frail.
“When he was abducted, he was handcuffed, and his abductors were armed with firearms,” said his lawyer, Ndegwa Njiru, adding that only the police could have access to such weapons.
The lawyer vowed that his team would “not rest” until the country’s top police officer appeared in court.
This follows another hearing last week where a judge ordered the police to produce the missing men in court or “explain under oath” their whereabouts.
One of the victims named in the court case, Steve Mbisi, remains missing.
Outside the court, his sister, Stacey Mchua, told AFP that she had “lost hope” in finding justice.
Meanwhile, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has recorded 82 abduction cases since the protests, with dozens still unaccounted for.
