By Brian Kiprono - Reporter
Kenya, June 30, 2026 - Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo has claimed that some of the reported abduction cases in Kenya are self-orchestrated, alleging that individuals have deliberately gone into hiding before resurfacing to accuse the government.
Speaking on recent claims of enforced disappearances, Omollo insisted that the government does not condone abductions and maintained that such incidents are not part of President William Ruto's administration.
"We have also had people who claimed they were abducted, but in the end, you find that they were hiding themselves in a bid to make it appear that the government is not keen on the well-being of Kenyans," he said.
The remarks come amid growing public concern over alleged abductions of activists and government critics, with human rights groups and families of missing persons continuing to demand investigations and accountability.
Omollo argued that the era of enforced disappearances ended with the previous administration, saying security agencies now operate within the law.
"The abduction culture is long gone. We had that challenge in the last administration, where people were being abducted while others were being found in rivers. Since we took over the government, President William Ruto has been clear that there will be nothing like that," he said.
He added that people arrested during recent demonstrations were processed through the justice system instead of being subjected to enforced disappearances.
"The other day, we had peaceful protests. Kenyans who wanted to demonstrate peacefully did so, while those with a different intention also went ahead. Those who were arrested were taken to court, not just recently but also during previous protests," he said.
The Principal Secretary maintained that there have been no state-sponsored abductions under the current administration and urged families of missing persons to report such incidents to the police.
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"There are no abductions under the watch of President Ruto. If anyone is missing, the law is clear. The matter should be reported as a missing person's case, and if there is evidence that someone was abducted, it is important to indicate who abducted them so that investigations can be carried out," he said.
Omollo further alleged that some individuals had fabricated abduction claims by isolating themselves before later emerging with accusations against the government.
"The cases that I would call purported abductions are people sleeping or locking themselves in their bedrooms before coming out to claim they were abducted," he said.
He also appealed to the media to help expose what he described as staged incidents.
"The media should help us call out some of these characters. Until today, we are yet to hear anyone call out those who lock themselves in their bedrooms or admit themselves to hospital, causing unnecessary anxiety to make the government look bad," he said.
Omollo reiterated that the government respects constitutional freedoms, including the right to criticise the government and hold peaceful demonstrations, provided they are conducted within the law.