NAIROBI, Kenya—This Christmas is anything but merry for Billy Mwangi, Peter Muteti, and Bernard Kavuli’s families.
Instead of festive cheer, their homes are shrouded in worry and anguish.
The three young men were allegedly abducted over the weekend, and despite persistent inquiries to the police, their whereabouts remain unknown.
The silence from authorities is deafening, amplifying the families’ pain and frustration.
These disappearances are not isolated incidents but part of a chilling pattern that has cast a dark shadow over Kenya.
According to human rights groups, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings have become an unsettling reality.
During the recent anti-government Gen Z protests, more than 60 lives were lost, hundreds were injured, and over 100 individuals remain unaccounted for.
For the affected families, this festive season is a stark reminder of Kenya’s unresolved issues with police accountability and human rights violations.
“We’ve searched everywhere,” says a relative of Muteti. “How can they do this to us during Christmas?”.
The disappearances often follow a chillingly familiar script.
Young men are picked up by unidentified individuals, sometimes in broad daylight, and whisked away in unmarked vehicles.
Witnesses are too terrified to speak out, fearing retribution. While some are found often traumatized, it is not always the case.
Days, weeks, or even months later, some bodies turn up in rivers or forests, bearing signs of torture. Many are never found.
The government’s silence on these cases is telling.
President William Ruto has over the years pledged to reform the police service and uphold human rights.
Yet, the lack of action and transparency on cases like these paints a contradictory picture.
Critics argue that while promises are made in public forums, the reality on the ground remains grim.
For the families of the Gen Z protest victims, this Christmas is a cruel milestone.
Susan Otieno lost her 22-year-old son, Caleb, during the protests.
“We were planning to have a big family dinner,” she recounts. “Now, there’s an empty chair at our table, and it feels like a part of me is missing.”
As the nation celebrates the festive season, these families are calling for justice.
They demand answers, accountability, and an end to the culture of impunity that enables these atrocities.
Human rights organizations have urged the government to end enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
But until action is taken, the cries of these families will continue to echo, a grim reminder of the lives lost and those still missing.
