Embu Residents Take to the Streets Over Billy Mwangi's Mysterious Disappearance

Collage of protests in Embu and Billy Mwangi R)

Embu town erupted in protests on Friday, December 27 as residents took to the streets, demanding answers and justice for Billy Mwangi, a 24-year-old man who went missing after reportedly being abducted on December 21. 

Photos and videos seen by Daily Times KE showed locals blocking roads and setting tires on fire in the heart of the town indicating the intensity of the protests.

According to Mwangi’s family, the young man was grabbed by four armed, masked men while sitting in a local barber shop. 

The men, traveling in a double-cabin pick-up truck, sped off towards the Embu-Nairobi Highway, leaving no trace of Mwangi behind.

His family has been looking all over the county ever since, but no clue has turned up yet.

The reasons behind Mwangi's abduction are not known, though speculations have it that a controversial post he made on social media could be the blame. 

The post, featuring an AI-generated image depicting President William Ruto in a bad light, might have given him an identification for being a target. 

Protests in Embu town

This has raised concerns, especially given that Mwangi is just one of many youths who have gone missing after making critical online remarks about the government.

Mwangi’s case is part of a troubling pattern. 

Five other young men—Steve Kavingo Mbisi, Peter Muteti, Bernard Kavuli, Rony Kiplang’at, and Gideon Kibet—have also been reportedly abducted in December alone. 

This brings the total number of abductions in the past six months to 82, with 29 still missing, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).

Both the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the National Police Service (NPS) have denied any involvement in these disappearances. 

In a statement on Thursday, December 26, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja issued a statement, reassuring the public that “no police station in the country is holding any of the reported abductees,” stressing that the NPS is not responsible for these cases.