NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 26 – Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Wednesday demanded an immediate end to ongoing abductions of Kenyan citizens linked to the publication of AI-generated images suggesting the demise of a state official on social media platforms.
Speaking during a Christmas service in Bondo, Raila warned that the continuation of these incidents posed a significant threat to national security.
“This is punitive and very strange. We cannot live in a country where people disappear for no reason and are kept incommunicado for long periods. The government must take this seriously, and it must come to an end. We want a safe and secure country,” said the former Prime Minister.
Raila compared the current tactics to those used against him in the 1990s when he was arrested and detained without charge or trial for supporting the call for multi-party democracy in Kenya.
“Gone are the days when they used to arrest you and take you to Nyayo House. But these days, you are taken to unknown places. It is primitive and unacceptable,” Odinga added.
The veteran politician spoke of the anguish families are enduring after their loved ones were abducted, often in broad daylight, by mysterious individuals.
“Many parents are in pain after their children were abducted and they have not heard from them. This is very strange, and I call on the government to intervene,” he said.
IPOA response
Raila’s plea came hours after the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) announced it had opened investigations into the abductions of four individuals linked to the AI images.
The Authority also called on Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to urgently address the alarming trend of disappearances.
“It is the responsibility of the NPS to protect all persons in Kenya from the illegal denial of their fundamental rights and freedoms through acts such as abductions,” IPOA stated in a statement on Wednesday.
IPOA expressed concern over the rising cases of abductions reportedly involving members of the National Police Service (NPS), calling them unacceptable.
The victims, identified as Bill Mwangi, Peter Muteti Njeru, Bernard Kavuli, and an unidentified individual, were abducted in December 2024 across Embu, Nairobi, and Kajiado counties.
Source: capitalfm
