Fury over State's use of abductions to terrorize citizens

Police officers forcefully arrest a protester during the Gen Z protest anniversary in Nairobi on June 25, 2026. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

The resurfacing of activists who went missing during the recent Gen Z memorial protests in Nairobi and the attempted kidnapping of a senior editor on Saturday morning have reignited public outrage and fuelled debate over the State's alleged use of abductions to terrorise and silence critics, including ordinary citizens.

The latest disappearances follow what rights groups describe as a pattern that has emerged since the June 2024 Gen Z uprising, in which plain-clothes officers travelling in unmarked vehicles allegedly seize protesters and take them to undisclosed locations.