Families across the Coast region are demanding answers after at least 55 young people were reported missing between September and October 2026, with relatives alleging that some were abducted by individuals believed to be police officers.
The disappearances, reported in several parts of Lamu County, have sparked concern among residents and drawn the attention of the Senate, where leaders are calling for investigations into the circumstances surrounding the missing persons. The concerns over reports of missing residents from Kizingitini, Mbwajumwali, Tchundwa, Myabogi, Pate and Siyu.
Among the cases highlighted is that of Ali Kassim, who was reportedly arrested by a multi-agency security team at his home in Tchundwa, Lamu East, on September 26. His family says they have not established his whereabouts since the incident.
The affected families continue to describe painful experiences involving relatives who allegedly disappeared after being taken from their homes or intercepted in public places. Athman Said, a resident of Lunga Lunga in Kwale County, is searching for his brother, Shaban Bakari, who was reportedly taken along Limuru Road in Nairobi on October 21.
He said the family tried calling his brother’s phone the following morning, but an unidentified person answered, claiming to have found the handset and promising to take it to a police station. The family has not heard from Bakari since. Another family in Likoni, Mombasa, is seeking information about Yassin Kapsandui, who was allegedly seized by armed men during a raid at their home in August.
Human rights organisation Vocal Africa says it has documented at least 26 enforced disappearance cases in the Coast region since January. Its executive director, Hussein Khalid, said the organisation was ready to help affected families pursue legal action, including habeas corpus applications requiring authorities to account for missing persons.
However, Coast Regional Police Commander Ali Nuno denied that security officers were involved in the reported disappearances. He said only two cases, one in Lamu and another in Mombasa, had been formally reported to police and urged families with information to come forward.