Families of missing social media influencers appeal for help

The families of two social media users, Peter Muteti and Billy Mwangi, are urgently appealing for help following their alleged abductions, which have sparked widespread concern over the safety of young online influencers in Kenya.

Peter Muteti, a 22-year-old social media influencer with a large following on X (formerly Twitter), was reportedly abducted outside his apartment in Uthiru, Nairobi, on Saturday morning (December 21, 2024).

Witnesses said that four armed men, one of whom was wearing a police uniform, forcibly bundled Muteti into a vehicle at around 9 am.

The vehicle, with registration number KCF 035M, later sped off and Muteti's phone was switched off shortly after, making him unreachable.

His girlfriend, Mary Wambui, who had seen him shortly before he left for breakfast that morning, revealed that Muteti had been living in fear after receiving threatening messages on X.

These threats followed a post he made on Thursday afternoon, which featured a photo of President William Ruto.

The post was deemed controversial by some, prompting Muteti to delete it later that day, fearing for his safety.

"Friday asubuhi there were suspicious men aliona, ikafanya hadi adelete that post juu alikuwa na uoga, so it is true alikuwa anathreateniwa," Wambui explained to reporters, confirming that Muteti had been fearful of the threats.

CCTV footage

Family members reported the abduction to the Kabete Police Station and are now calling for authorities to examine CCTV footage from the apartment complex and surrounding areas to identify the perpetrators.

Muteti's cousin, Christine Kendi, urged for transparency from the authorities. "We appeal to the DCI, to the Kenya Police. We understand that Peter has been vocal on Twitter formerly X; maybe he could have done wrong, but we believe there is due process. He should not be hidden—he should be produced in court," she said.

Muteti's brother, Kelvin Njeru, expressed his concern about the involvement of uniformed personnel in the abduction.

"The men who were inside the Prado had not masked their faces. They bundled him into the vehicle and sped off. Inside the car, there was an officer in uniform, but even after reporting the case to Kabete Police Station, they say they don't know his whereabouts," Njeru said.

The family is also frustrated by the lack of cooperation from the apartment management and a nearby supermarket where witnesses claim to have seen the abduction unfold.

The incident has stirred outrage online, with many Kenyans calling for Muteti's immediate release and demanding answers from the authorities. The abduction has also raised fresh concerns about the rising number of enforced disappearances in the country.

While Muteti's family remains in the dark about his fate, detectives from Kabete Police Station have taken over the investigation, but there have been no updates on his whereabouts as of now.

Muteti's disappearance comes on the heels of another alarming case involving Billy Mwangi, a 25-year-old social media user from Embu, who was reportedly abducted on Tuesday, December 17, 2024.

Eyewitnesses said they saw four armed, hooded men forcibly drag Mwangi out of a barbershop at around 3:30 pm.

AI-generated images

His abduction followed shortly after he shared AI-generated images of President William Ruto, which some found offensive.

Mwangi's family has since lodged a report with the Embu Police Station, but, like Muteti's family, they are still waiting for answers.

The series of abductions involving social media users has raised serious concerns about the safety of online influencers, particularly those who use their platforms to voice opinions on political or controversial topics

Cases of abductions and enforced disappearances in the country, which have been linked to state security agents, have been on the rise in past months, in stark contrast to the promise President Ruto made when he took office.

In his State of the Nation Address in November, Ruto maintained that forced disappearances and abductions have no place in Kenya.

The President noted that numerous allegations have been made about the disappearance of people during the June protests.

He said a number of these cases have been resolved while others have been uncovered as fake news, undermining efforts to find genuine cases of missing persons.

"A good number of disappearances have also turned out to be arrests made by police officers. In such cases, the suspects have been duly arraigned in court," he said.

"I must, however, make it very clear: there is no attempt to justify or exercise illegal arrests," he added. The President condemned any excessive or extrajudicial action that puts the lives or liberty of any person at risk including disappearances and threats to life.

He urged Kenyans with information on such cases to inform the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) where they suspect police to be involved.

"I am aware many of the cases that have been raised are being handled by IPOA," Ruto added.