Families Challenge President Ruto’s Claims on Return of Abducted Kenyans

Despite repeated assurances from Kenya's highest echelons of leadership, families of missing individuals continue to grapple with uncertainty and despair. 

While President William Ruto has publicly asserted that all abducted persons have been returned home, numerous families and human rights organizations dispute this claim, citing ongoing disappearances and a lack of government transparency.

The crisis has sparked growing scepticism, particularly among those whose loved ones remain unaccounted for. For Alice Wambui, the past year has been a relentless cycle of hope and despair. Her son, Peter Macharia, vanished on June 24, 2024, leaving her life in disarray.

"Hospitals, police stations, everywhere I've looked, it's the same story," Wambui lamented. 

The search has taken a heavy toll, resulting in job loss, unpaid rent, and the agonising fear that she may never see her son again. Wambui's plight is not unique. Across Kenya, families endure similar ordeals, clinging to the hope of reunification while grappling with the stark reality of ongoing disappearances. President Ruto's recent pronouncement, made during a press briefing alongside Finnish President Alexander Stubb, that "all the people who disappeared or who were abducted, all of them have been brought back to their families and to their homes," has done little to alleviate their suffering.

The president's statements have been met with skepticism and disbelief, particularly from those still searching for their loved ones. Monica Mwende's brother, Kalani Muema, was abducted in Mlolongo in December 2024 along with three other men. Since then, there has been no contact, leaving his family in a state of perpetual uncertainty. Mwende has scoured hospitals and mortuaries, desperately seeking any clue that might explain her brother's disappearance. 

"His phone is off, and we have no idea where he is," she stated, highlighting the frustration of those left in the dark.

The remains of two of the four men abducted alongside Muema – Justus Mutumwa Musyimi and Martin Mwau – were discovered at the Nairobi Funeral Home in January. This grim discovery shattered the families' hopes for a safe return, reinforcing the gravity of the situation. The uncertainty has taken a particularly heavy toll on Muema's mother. 

"She hadn't been eating," Mwende revealed. "When she heard the President say all who had been abducted had been released, she called me to ask whether my brother had also been released."

Civil society organisations and human rights groups are challenging President Ruto's claims, asserting that numerous individuals remain missing despite official reassurances. Vocal Africa, a group working closely with affected families, has documented dozens of cases that contradict the President's assertion.

"These names are not isolated cases," said Hussein Khalid, a representative from Vocal Africa. "They represent just a fraction of a broader pattern of repression and impunity that has yet to be adequately acknowledged or addressed by the state." 

Among those still unaccounted for, according to Vocal Africa, are Emmanuel Mukuria, Dennis Chege, and Peter Macharia, who vanished on June 25, 2024. Martin Mbisi and Kalani Muema, taken in December, are also missing.

The organisation has conducted field investigations and compiled testimonies suggesting that enforced disappearances are far from resolved. The government's denial has fueled fears among victims' families, who feel trapped in a system that refuses to acknowledge their suffering.

Adding weight to these concerns, a report by Missing Voices—a coalition of human rights watchdogs—revealed that Kenya recorded 55 cases of enforced disappearances in 2024 alone. This marks a fivefold increase from 2023’s 10 cases, signaling a sharp escalation. Even the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), a state agency, has raised alarm, disclosing that 82 abduction cases were reported between June and December 2024.

For families awaiting answers, each day is an agonizing balancing act between hope and grief. Some cling to the belief that their loved ones will return, while others dread what discovery may bring. As uncertainty looms, their singular question remains: Where are our kin?