Four young Kenyan men who went missing just before the Christmas holidays have been found alive, relatives and rights groups say.
Kenya has been gripped by a wave of disappearances, with the state-funded rights group saying more than 80 people have been kidnapped in the past six months.
The kidnappings typically target government critics and are widely believed to be the work of security agents, although the government has not admitted responsibility.
They started in June last year during nationwide protests against taxes, but increased in December when AI-generated photos of the president in a casket were widely shared.
Those released on Monday include 24-year-old student Billy Mwangi from Embu, in the central Mount Kenya region.
Local MP Gitonga Mukunji told journalists that Mr Mwangi “was punched and beaten while in a dark room. He is traumatized.”
His father said he could not talk about what he had experienced and was taken to hospital.
“He came home around eight in the morning. He was walking by alone – his mother and I saw him. We thank everyone who prayed and supported him,” he told the Daily Nation news site.
Last week, Mwangi’s father got into an argument in court when he argued for his son’s release.
A relative of 22-year-old Peter Muteti, who was arrested in the capital on December 21, told the BBC he had been reunited with family but was disoriented and unable to talk about the ordeal.
Amnesty International Kenya welcomed the release and urged the state to release all abductees and hold those responsible to account.
Two weeks ago, police denied responsibility for kidnappings by plainclothes men across the country, some of which were captured on CCTV.
On Monday, police issued an update acknowledging the release of the kidnapped men. They said they had already been in contact with someone who reported to a police station.
Police said all cases of missing persons were being investigated.
Rights groups and other Kenyans have linked the kidnappings to a shadowy security forces intelligence and counter-terrorism unit.
Amid the public uproar, President William Ruto last month said: “We are going to stop the kidnappings so that our youths can live peacefully and have discipline,” as he urged parents to care for their children.
So far no one had been released since he spoke on December 27, and activists are planning protests on Monday to push the government into action.
Two other youths – Ronny Kiplangat and Bernard Kavuli – have also been released, their families told local media.
Mr Kavuli, a content creator, was arrested on the outskirts of the city in December, while Mr Kiplangat is the brother of satirical cartoonist Kibet Bull, who remains missing.
Kibet Bull is known for his silhouette cartoon memes critical of the president. Two others were seized after placing AI-generated images of the president in a coffin.
Police said Mr Kavuli had helped them with their investigation after reporting to a police station at Moi’s Bridge in western Kenya.
A statement said they would contact the three others “and their families and provide them with all necessary support as we seek further information to support ongoing investigations”.
The Law Society of Kenya has filed a lawsuit against the state, demanding the immediate and unconditional release of seven persons kidnapped last month, including those now released.
The situation continues to stoke fear across the country, with parents concerned for the safety of their children and activists vowing to keep up pressure until all missing persons are traced.
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