Murkomen: Government has no official data on missing persons
Murkomen also defended President William Ruto over his recent comments on abductions, saying his remarks were misunderstood.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has admitted that the government does not have official data on the number of missing persons in the country.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV, Murkomen disclosed that only 13 cases of missing persons have been reported to police this year.
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"From January to now, the reported cases of missing persons are 13. Some of these are linked to the period of budget-related demonstrations, while others have been reported from various parts of the country," he said on Wednesday.
Murkomen also defended President William Ruto over his recent comments on abductions, saying his remarks were misunderstood.
He clarified that the President did not imply that the government was behind the disappearances.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has confirmed that investigations into abductions across the country are ongoing.
Appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Administration and Internal Security, IPOA chairperson Issack Hassan said the aim is to uncover those responsible.
"As for who is abducting Kenyans, we are still investigating," he stated.
He pointed out that a major challenge in the investigations is the reluctance of victims to come forward with information. "The challenge has been that the victims are not coming to us to give evidence."
The IPOA boss also raised the possibility of launching a public inquiry to allow victims and witnesses to present their accounts. “The IG said the Police have not abducted anyone, but we may need to open a public inquiry into this matter,” he said.
His comments come in the wake of President Ruto’s remarks that all those who had gone missing have since returned to their families.
"All those who had disappeared or were abducted have been brought back to their homes. I have given clarity that nothing of that nature will happen again,” Ruto said on Monday during a joint press conference with the Finnish President.
Meanwhile, IPOA recently concluded investigations into the deaths of 22 people during the 2024 anti-government protests.
The files have been forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for review and possible charges.
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