Four abducted youths freed amid uproar

Four Kenyan boys who went missing before the Christmas holidays have been found alive, relatives and rights groups have said.

Kenya has been hit hard by a spate of violence, with a government-backed human rights watchdog saying more than 80 people have been arrested in the past six months.

These abductions often involve dissidents and are widely believed to be the work of the security forces, although the government has not claimed responsibility.

They started in June of last year during anti-tax protests across the country, but increased in December, when AI-generated photos of the president in a box were widely shared.

Those released on Monday were Billy Mwangi, a 24-year-old student from Embu, in Kenya’s central mountain region.

Local councilor Gitonga Mukunji told reporters that Mr Mwangi “was whipped and flogged in a dark room. He is scared”.

His father said he was unable to talk about his experience and went to the hospital.

“He came home around 8 o’clock in the morning. He walked alone – his mother and I saw him. We thank everyone who prayed for him and helped him,” he told the Daily Nation newspaper.

Last week, Mwangi’s father stormed the court when he pleaded for his son’s release.

A relative of 22-year-old Peter Muteti, who was arrested in the capital on 21 December, told the BBC that he had met the family again but was distraught and unable to talk about the incident.

Amnesty International Kenya welcomed the release and urged “the Government to release all the abductees and hold those responsible accountable”.

In the past two weeks, police have denied being responsible for a series of kidnappings by men in plain clothes across the country, some of which were caught on CCTV.

Monday is the police issued an update in accepting the release of the abducted persons saying that he had already met one who presented himself to the police.

The police said that the investigation into all cases of missing persons is ongoing.

Rights groups and other Kenyans have linked the seizure to a non-violent security operation.

In the midst of the chaos, President William Ruto last month said: “We will stop these 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, with activists planning demonstrations on Monday to pressure the government into action.

Two other youths – Ronny Kiplangat and Bernard Kavuli – have also been released, their families told local media.

Mr Kavuli, a producer, was arrested on the outskirts of the city in December, while Mr Kiplangat is the brother of cartoonist Kibet Bull, who is still missing.

Kibet Bull is known for his cartoons against the President. Two others were caught placing AI-generated photos of the President in a box.

The police said Mr. Kavuli has been assisting them in their investigation after he showed himself to the police in Moi’s Bridge in the west of Kenya.

The statement said they have reached out to the other three “and their families and are offering them all the necessary support as we seek more information to support the ongoing investigation”.

The Law Society of Kenya has sued the government for the immediate release of the seven people who were abducted last month without justification, including those who have been released.

The situation continues to raise fears across the country, with parents worried about their children’s safety and activists vowing to keep up the pressure until all the missing people are identified.