Embu residents warned against further protests over Billy Mwangi’s abduction

Embu County security team has urged residents to avoid further demonstrations following the abduction of college student Billy Munyiri Mwangi.

While addressing residents on Sunday, County police commander Samuel Muthamia urged citizens to refrain from actions that disturb the peace while authorities continue efforts to locate the missing student.

“We have been looking for Mwangi since he went missing, and we ask for your patience as we continue our search,” Muthamia said.

The 24-year-old, who lives in Nairobi, was abducted on December 21 while visiting family in Embu. According to eyewitnesses, Mwangi was waiting for a haircut at a barber shop when a white double-cab pick-up truck arrived.

Four hooded men, suspected to be government agents, forcibly took him away. When Mwangi questioned why he was being arrested, the men reportedly replied, “You will know later,” before bundling him into the vehicle and driving off.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that Mwangi’s phone was switched off shortly after his abduction, which occurred just 400 metres from where he was last seen. However, the motive behind the abduction remains unclear.

The abduction has sparked widespread anger, with residents taking to the streets in protest on Friday. The demonstrations created tension in Embu town, where businesses were forced to close due to fears of looting.

Muthamia acknowledged the unrest, saying, “We understand there are more planned demonstrations. We ask residents to remain calm and allow us time to find Mwangi.”

The student’s family has expressed shock and confusion over the abduction. His mother, Regina Wairimu, said she was devastated after receiving news of her son’s disappearance.

“We are still in shock. If it is the government responsible, I want my son back home alive. If he has done anything wrong, I am ready to apologise on his behalf,” she said tearfully.

His father, Gerald Karicha, echoed the sentiment, describing the ordeal as agonising.

“I called Mwangi at about 3 pm after he failed to return home. I wanted to watch soccer with him,” Karicha said, adding that he could not understand why his disciplined son was targeted.

“If it is the government holding my son, they should release him,” he added.

Mwangi’s abduction is part of a troubling pattern of disappearances, particularly among government critics and human rights defenders.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has reported that at least 82 people have been abducted by suspected state agents since anti-government protests erupted in June. Twenty-nine of those abducted remain missing.

Catholic priest Ambrose Kimutai has called on President William Ruto to take full responsibility for the rise in abductions, arguing that political leaders, including former President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga, cannot distance themselves from the issue.

“The broad-based government is not addressing the root causes of these abductions. Ruto, Kenyatta, and Odinga are all in power to protect their interests, while ordinary Kenyans suffer,” Father Kimutai, who serves at Ndarawetta Catholic Parish in Bomet County, said.

He also expressed concern over the abduction of two young men from Bomet County, Elvis Kevin Langat and Dominic Kipngeno Langat, who disappeared on December 5, 2024. The youths were reportedly taken by masked security agents and driven away in an unmarked Subaru.

Kimutai criticised the government’s handling of abductions, drawing comparisons to the dark days of the Kanu regime when critics were detained at Nyayo House torture chambers.

“Though there are no torture chambers now, the situation is getting worse,” he said.

The priest called on President Ruto to confront the reality of his administration’s failure to live up to pre-election promises, particularly in the areas of economic reform and the end of extrajudicial killings.

He added that Kenyans were disillusioned, as many felt their expectations for change had not been met under the current government.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua also condemned the abductions, directly attributing them to President Ruto’s leadership.