NAIROBI,Kenya, Jul 4- The National Police Service (NPS) has denied allegations linking its officers to a series of reported abductions, insisting that it does not engage in enforced disappearances and that all arrests are carried out strictly within the law.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Office of the Inspector General described claims that police officers are involved in abductions as “false, misleading and unsupported by any credible evidence.”
The statement comes amid sustained public concern over recent incidents in which unidentified men, some captured on video wearing civilian clothing and using unmarked vehicles, have allegedly bundled individuals into vehicles in broad daylight.
In several cases circulated on social media and reported by rights groups, the identities of the operatives have not been officially confirmed, fuelling speculation over whether they were members of the security services.
The NPS, however, maintained that it has no role in such incidents.
“The NPS does not abduct people,” Police Spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga said, adding that its constitutional mandate is limited to maintaining law and order, preventing and detecting crime, protecting life and property, and arresting suspects in accordance with the Constitution and other applicable laws.
According to the Service, every lawful arrest is recorded in the Occurrence Book (OB), processed through established legal procedures and suspects are presented before court within the timelines provided by law.
Police further stated that no station under the National Police Service is currently holding any person reported or alleged to have been abducted.
The Service said every report of a missing person or alleged abduction is investigated promptly and professionally.
It added that some investigations have found that certain disappearances were staged to mislead the public or undermine confidence in law enforcement, warning that appropriate legal action would be taken where criminal conduct is established.
The NPS urged anyone with credible information regarding a missing person or suspected abduction to report the matter to the nearest police station to facilitate investigations.
It also appealed to the public, media and civil society organisations to verify information before sharing it, saying misinformation risks undermining public confidence and ongoing investigations.
The Service further noted that its operations are subject to oversight by independent institutions, including the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), the courts and Parliament.
Despite the police denial, allegations of enforced disappearances have remained a subject of public debate, with human rights organisations and families of missing persons continuing to call for independent investigations into incidents captured on video and other reported cases.
Authorities have not publicly identified those responsible for several of the widely circulated incidents, and investigations into a number of cases remain ongoing.