NAIROBI, Kenya – As the search for missing young Kenyans intensifies, families recount growing fear and frustration, alleging harassment and intimidation by security agents.
The escalating distress follows the recent disappearances of several youths, sparking nationwide concern over human rights violations and accusations of enforced disappearances.
A university student studying political science in Nairobi was among those reported missing.
His family shared that their search, which began in June, quickly turned into a nightmare as they faced anonymous calls warning them to abandon their inquiries.
“I made a social media post about his disappearance, and immediately, strange calls started pouring in,” he said. “My ailing mother received threats, demanding that I stop making ‘inflammatory statements’ about the government or she would suffer more heartbreak.”
The family eventually ceased public appeals for help after threats mounted.
Similar accounts were shared by others, including BM, WA, MWA, and RNH, who requested anonymity due to fear of reprisal.
BM, whose sister—a fashion student in Nairobi—disappeared in July, expressed his growing fears, saying, “I suspect her body was in Kware and that police are involved in her death.”
Otsieno Namwaya, head of Human Rights Watch, said cases of missing persons could number in the hundreds.
He underscored that families are often silenced through intimidation tactics.
“Our data suggests that up to 132 people remain unaccounted for from recent protests, many of whom are victims of enforced disappearances,” he noted. “Once families report loved ones missing, security agents reportedly subject them to surveillance, threats, and other coercive tactics.”
The disturbing trend highlights Kenya’s struggle with unresolved cases of missing persons, with critics pointing to alleged extrajudicial tactics by security agencies as the root cause of families’ ongoing trauma.
The escalating distress follows the recent disappearances of several youths, sparking nationwide concern over human rights violations and accusations of enforced disappearances.
A university student studying political science in Nairobi was among those reported missing.
His family shared that their search, which began in June, quickly turned into a nightmare as they faced anonymous calls warning them to abandon their inquiries.
“I made a social media post about his disappearance, and immediately, strange calls started pouring in,” he said. “My ailing mother received threats, demanding that I stop making ‘inflammatory statements’ about the government or she would suffer more heartbreak.”
The family eventually ceased public appeals for help after threats mounted.
Similar accounts were shared by others, including BM, WA, MWA, and RNH, who requested anonymity due to fear of reprisal.
BM, whose sister—a fashion student in Nairobi—disappeared in July, expressed his growing fears, saying, “I suspect her body was in Kware and that police are involved in her death.”
Otsieno Namwaya, head of Human Rights Watch, said cases of missing persons could number in the hundreds.
He underscored that families are often silenced through intimidation tactics.
“Our data suggests that up to 132 people remain unaccounted for from recent protests, many of whom are victims of enforced disappearances,” he noted. “Once families report loved ones missing, security agents reportedly subject them to surveillance, threats, and other coercive tactics.”
The disturbing trend highlights Kenya’s struggle with unresolved cases of missing persons, with critics pointing to alleged extrajudicial tactics by security agencies as the root cause of families’ ongoing trauma.
