NAIROBI, Kenya – Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has alleged that abducted cartoonist Gideon Kibet, popularly known as Kibet Bull or Yoko, was trailed to his office by individuals suspected to be police officers using a white Subaru Forester fitted with surveillance gadgets and bearing fake registration plates.
Yoko, who was scheduled to fly to Israel on December 27 to join Tel Aviv University, had visited Omtatah on the day he was abducted.
Speaking about their encounter, the outspoken Senator said: “He informed me that he is a very strong supporter of the work I do and that he had traveled from Nakuru to Nairobi that morning just to meet me before flying out. He also mentioned that he would be staying at his brother’s place in Kikuyu until his departure.”
Omtatah, in a statement seen by Y News, disclosed that the vehicle trailing Kibet was equipped with advanced spy technology capable of intercepting phone conversations.
The white Subaru Forester bore the registration number KCG 089A, which he described as fake.
This revelation adds to the growing list of abductions targeting government critics, sparking outrage among human rights advocates and the general public.
Kibet’s disappearance was reported by his family at Thogoto Police Station, raising fears about his safety.
However, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has denied allegations of police involvement in the recent wave of abductions.
In a statement, Kanja said: “For the 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.”
Senator Omtatah linked Kibet’s abduction to a broader pattern of targeting online content creators with significant followings who have criticized government officials and specifically Prsident William Ruto.
He called for the immediate release of Kibet alongside three other abducted content creators – Billy Mwangi, Peter Muteti, and Bernard Kavuli.
All the victims of these recent abductions have a substantial social media presence.
It is alleged they have published materials that unsettled the government.
“His abductors have resorted to these cowardly and despicable extrajudicial means of punishing him because they have no case against him,” Omtatah said.
He added: “The fact that he has been abducted and not arrested indicates that he has not done anything wrong that warrants prosecution under Kenyan law.”
The abductions, Omtatah noted, fly in the face of Kenya’s 2010 Constitution, which guarantees fundamental rights and freedoms, including the right to freedom of expression and protection from unlawful detention.
He cautioned that these actions are a blatant violation of our constitutional rights and freedoms and that they erode public trust in law enforcement and the rule of law.
Human rights organizations have also condemned the incidents, with Amnesty International Kenya calling for urgent investigations into the abductions.
The abduction incidents have triggered widespread debate about the government’s commitment to justice and constitutional rights.