NAIROBI, Kenya — Concerns are growing regarding the number of individuals critical of the Kenyan government who have reportedly been abducted. Recent reports indicate that four individuals went missing over the weekend, which pushes the total count of abductions to 82 since the onset of anti-government demonstrations in June.

These four individuals, all users of social media, disappeared after posting AI-generated images of President William Ruto that were considered offensive by some government supporters. This situation has spurred the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights to issue a warning about the alarming trend, suggesting that the country is reverting to the “dark days” characterized by the disappearances of those opposing government actions. Such incidents were notably prevalent during the tenure of former President Daniel Moi.

The commission’s chairperson, Roselyne Odede, emphasized the National Police Service’s responsibility to protect citizens from violent acts. She pointed out that many of these abductions were occurring in plain sight and in some cases, were captured on surveillance cameras, yet no arrests have been made.

Human rights advocates are alleging that the police force may be involved in these disappearances. However, the police deny these claims, stating that they are actively investigating the situations. A coalition of 21 human rights organizations released a collective statement on Wednesday, calling for the police to bring those guilty of the abductions to justice.

The statement warned that any inaction would set a perilous precedent, potentially leading to more human rights violations within the nation. Additionally, in October, nine European diplomats expressed their worry over the trend of enforced disappearances and called on President Ruto to ensure accountability and justice.

This was in light of an unsettling incident where four Turkish nationals, despite being registered asylum seekers with the United Nations, were abducted and repatriated to their home country amid fears for their safety. Recently, Kenya was elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council on October 9, highlighting its ongoing efforts in the realm of human rights advocacy.