Kenya’s high court on Wednesday ordered the country’s top policeman to appear for questioning over a fresh wave of abductions that have caused widespread outrage.Dozens of people have been kidnapped and held in communicado since major anti-government protests last year, which sparked a bruising political crisis for President William Ruto.A fresh spate of disappearances over the Christmas holiday led to rights groups filing a court case against the police and government, demanding to know the whereabouts of six missing young men. At least two were taken after sharing AI-generated images of Ruto in a coffin.Five of them were released on Monday, with no information given on who had taken them or where they were held. Police deny involvement, but rights groups blame a shadowy unit drawn from police, intelligence, counterterrorism and other agencies. The Nairobi court said Wednesday that Inspector General Douglas Kanja must appear at the next hearing on January 27 or be charged with contempt. Among those kidnapped and released was Bernard Kavuli, who appeared at the hearing looking frail.”When he was abducted, he was handcuffed, and indicated that his abductors were in possession of firearms,” said his lawyer Ndegwa Njiru, adding that only the police could have such items.The lawyer said his team would “not rest” until the country’s top policeman appeared in court.It follows another hearing last week in which a judge ordered the police to produce the missing men in court, or “explain under oath” where they were.One victim named in the court case — Steve Mbisi — remains missing.Outside court, his sister Stacey Mchua told AFP she had “lost hope” in justice.The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has recorded 82 abduction cases since the protests, with dozens still missing.
