The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Thursday, January 23, flagged as fake a letter detailing a proposal to form an anti-abduction unit.
The now-flagged letter, which was dated January 22, stated that the Inspector General of Police had considered and approved a proposal from the DCI for 30 police officers from the Kenya Police and Administration Police Service to be interviewed and once selected, be deployed in the anti-abduction unit.
In the letter, the authority figures directed that interested and qualified police officers be informed of the new development so that they could be able to tender their applications by filling in their details on the Google Forms link provided in the letter.
The counterfeit letter listed seven qualifications that interested candidates must have attained so as to be eligible to apply. Among them was that applicants had to be within the rank of police constable to inspector. (PC-IP).
Additionally, interested candidates had to have attained a mean grade of C+ (plus) and above in their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education(KCSE). Also, one had to be 40 years of age and below to qualify.
Another qualification listed in the fake letter was that interested candidates had to have served in the police service for five years or more. A clean disciplinary record was also a requirement.
Further, candidates would only have been eligible to apply if they had passed the whole of police law examinations. Possession of a certificate of attendance in basic crime investigation would have been an added advantage as per the letter.
In the fake letter, applications should have been submitted on or before Sunday, January 26 by midnight. The letter noted that the interview date and venue were to be communicated at a later date.
The latest development adds fresh intrigue to the discourse surrounding abductions that has caused much uproar in the country. The police, through IG Douglas Kanja, denied involvement after many quarters pointed an accusing finger at them as being the chief abductors.
A report by a human rights organisation disclosed that over 80 people had been allegedly abducted since the onset of the July-August 2024 Gen Z protests. In December 2024, fresh protests were held in the Nairobi CBD and other parts of the country over the disappearance of Kenyan youth over online activity.
The matter has spilled into the Judiciary with IG Kanja and DCI boss Mohammed Amin being summoned by the courts to respond to cases of missing persons such as the 'Mlolongo 4'. However, Kanja and his counterpart defied court summons thrice further adding fuel to the fire. Kanja finally bowed to pressure and committed on record to appear before the courts.
Recently, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi revealed that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) was behind the abductions in the country. Muturi was an affected party after his son was allegedly abducted at the height of the June-August Gen Z protests.
The expose by Muturi, the latest move by the DCI and the impending court cases have all made for an intriguing debate on abductions with Kenyans maintaining a close eye on developments.
