Four Kenyan youths who went missing just before the Christmas holidays have been found alive, family members and rights groups say.
Kenya has been gripped by a wave of disappearances, with a state-funded human rights group saying more than 80 people have been abducted in the past six months.
The kidnappings generally target government critics and are believed to be the work of security agents, although the government has not claimed responsibility.
They began in June last year during anti-tax protests across the country, but escalated in December, when AI-generated photos of the president in a coffin were widely shared.
Among those released on Monday was 24-year-old student Billy Mwangi in Embu, in the central region of Mount Kenya.
Local representative Gitonga Mukunji told reporters that Mr. Mwangi was “whipped and beaten while in a dark room. He is traumatized”.
His father said he was unable to talk about what he went through and was taken to the hospital.
“He came home around eight in the morning. He was walking alone – his mother and I saw him. We thank everyone who prayed and supported him,” he told the Daily Nation news site.
Last week, Mr Mwangi’s father broke down in court as he pleaded for his son to be released.
A relative of 22-year-old Peter Muteti, who was arrested in the capital on December 21, told the BBC he had been reunited with his family but was disoriented and unable to talk about the ordeal.
Amnesty International Kenya welcomed the release and called on “the state to release all abductees and hold those responsible accountable.”
Two weeks ago, police denied responsibility for kidnappings carried out by plainclothes men across the country, some of which were caught on CCTV.
It’s on Monday police posted an update confirming the release of the abducted men, saying they had already been in contact with one who turned up at the police station.
The police announced that the investigation of all cases of missing persons is ongoing.
Human rights groups and other Kenyans have linked the abductions to a mysterious intelligence and counter-terrorism unit of the security forces.
Amid the public uproar, President William Ruto said last month: “We will stop kidnappings so that our youth can live peacefully and have discipline,” while urging parents to look after their children.
So far, no one has been freed since he spoke on December 27, and activists are planning protests on Monday to urge the government to act.
Two other young men – Ronny Kiplangat and Bernard Kavuli – were also released, their families told local media.
Mr Kavuli, a content creator, was arrested on the outskirts of the city in December, while Mr Kiplangat is the brother of satirical cartoonist Kibet Bull, who is still missing.
Kibet Bull is known for his cartoon silhouette memes criticizing the president. Two others were seized after posting AI-generated images of the president in a coffin.
Police said Mr Kavuli was assisting them with their investigations after he turned up at the Moi’s Bridge police station in western Kenya.
The statement said it would be reaching out to the other three “and their families and providing them with all necessary support as we seek further information to assist the ongoing investigations”.
The Law Society of Kenya has launched legal action against the state, demanding the immediate and unconditional release of seven people abducted last month, including those who have now been released.
The situation continues to fuel fear across the country, with parents worried about their children’s safety and activists vowing to keep up the pressure until all the missing people are found.
