Emmanuel Mukuria Kamau

Emmanuel Mukuria Kamau is a Kenyan citizen who disappeared on 25 June 2024 amid nationwide protests against the Finance Bill. His disappearance has become one of the most high-profile cases of suspected enforced disappearance in Kenya’s recent history and has drawn significant attention from local and international human rights organizations.

Background

Kamau, aged 24 at the time of his disappearance, was a minibus tout based in Nairobi’s Central Business District. On the morning of 25 June 2024, he left home wearing a black vest, grey trousers, and a cap. CCTV footage later showed him walking toward the city centre, reportedly joining or passing through areas where anti-Finance Bill protests were taking place.

Disappearance

According to eyewitnesses, Kamau was seen being grabbed by plainclothes individuals believed to be security agents and forced into an unmarked vehicle amid chaos caused by tear gas.

Friends detained with him later stated they were beaten and questioned about the protests, including allegations of foreign funding. A former detainee later claimed to have seen Kamau at Block L8 of Industrial Area Remand Prison, though the prison has denied holding him.

Family’s Search and Official Response

Kamau’s mother, Susan Wangari Wanjohi, has conducted an exhaustive search through over a dozen police stations, hospitals, and morgues across Nairobi, Kiambu, and Kajiado. She filed police reports including OB 26/29/06/2024 at Sunton Police Station.

Despite these efforts, authorities have consistently denied having custody of Kamau or knowledge of his whereabouts. Requests for official arrest or detention records have yielded no results.

Public and Legal Reactions

Kamau's disappearance occurred during a broader pattern of state violence and repression during the 2024–2025 protests. Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have linked his case to a series of abductions and disappearances targeting youth and activists.

In a statement, his mother said: "It would be better if my son were dead. At least I could visit his grave."

Rights groups have urged the Kenyan government to acknowledge disappearances, investigate security officers involved, and enact laws to criminalize enforced disappearances.

Context

Kamau's case is among at least 87 abductions documented by rights groups during the 2024 protests, of which 26 remain unresolved as of July 2025. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the World Organisation Against Torture have condemned Kenya’s failure to uphold due process and called for urgent legal reforms.

References

• Mother’s painful search for son, 56 days after Parliament raid.
• family in agony over kin who disappeared during protests.
• As Kenya protests police killings, families search for the disappeared.