Four abducted young men are freed amid uproar

Four young Kenyans who went missing in the run-up to the Christmas holidays have been found alive, family members and rights groups say.

Kenya has been gripped by a wave of disappearances, with a state-funded human rights group reporting that more than 80 people have been abducted in the past six months.

The kidnappings are typically targeted against government critics and are widely believed to be the work of secret service agents, although the government has not claimed responsibility.

They began last June during nationwide protests against taxes, but intensified in December when artificial intelligence photos of the president in a coffin were widely circulated.

Among those released on Monday was 24-year-old student Billy Mwangi in Embu, in the central Mount Kenya region.

Local MP Gitongo Mukunji told reporters that Mr Mwangi “was beaten and beaten in a dark room. He is injured”.

His father said he could not discuss what he had experienced and was taken to hospital.

“He came home around eight in the morning. He was walking alone – his mother and I saw him. We thank everyone who prayed and supported him,” he told the Daily Nation news website.

Last week, Mr Mwangi’s father broke down in court as he pleaded for his son’s release.

A relative of 22-year-old Peter Muteti, who was captured in the capital on December 21, told the BBC he had been reunited with his family but was disoriented and unable to speak about the ordeal.

Amnesty International Kenya welcomed the release and called on “the state to release all abductees and bring those responsible to justice.”

Two weeks ago, police denied responsibility for a string of plainclothes kidnappings across the country, some of which were caught on CCTV.

On Monday police issued an update acknowledging the release of the abducted men, saying they had already been in contact with one who had turned up at the police station.

The police said that an investigation is underway into all cases of missing people.

Human rights groups and other Kenyans have linked the abductions to a shadowy intelligence and counter-terrorism unit of the security forces.

Amid public outrage, President William Ruta said last month: “We will stop kidnappings so that our youth can live in peace and discipline,” while urging parents to take care of their children.

So far, no one has been released since his speech on December 27, and activists planned protests on Monday to force the government to act.

Two other young men – Rony Kiplangat and Bernard Kavuli – were also released, their families told local media.

Mr Kavuli, a content creator, was captured on the outskirts of the city in December, while Mr Kiplangat is the brother of satirical cartoonist Kibet Bull, who is still missing.

Kibet Bik is known for his silhouette caricature memes criticizing the president. Two others were seized after placing AI-generated images of the president in a coffin.

Police said Mr Kawuli was assisting them with their investigation after he turned himself in at a police station in Moi Bridge in western Kenya.

The statement said they would be contacting the other three “and their families and providing them with all necessary support as we seek further information to assist the investigation”.

The Law Society of Kenya has launched a legal case against the state, demanding the immediate and unconditional release of seven people abducted last month, including those who have now been released.

The situation continues to cause fear across the country, with parents worried for the safety of their children and activists vowing to keep up the pressure until all the missing are found.