Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has raised the alarm over a growing trend of staged abductions, cautioning that such deceptive acts undermine genuine security concerns and misuse critical law enforcement resources.
Speaking during a meeting with Members of Parliament, CS Murkomen highlighted the increasing number of self-abduction cases, warning that fabricating kidnappings for political or personal gain poses a threat to national security.
“We have increasing cases of fake kidnappings and abductions. These self-abductions make nonsense of the serious subject that we are dealing with,” Murkomen asserted. “This is not a laughing matter. It is a serious global issue.”
He cited the case of Nobert Mulwa, who staged his own abduction in December 2023 to extort money from his family. “He was found in Kitengela having tied himself, taking pictures and demanding ransom from his sister,” said the CS, expressing concern over the misuse of security resources.
Murkomen revealed that some individuals, including spouses, have gone as far as faking kidnappings to escape personal responsibilities. Most alarming, he noted, is the recent case involving a Member of Parliament who allegedly faked his own abduction, triggering a nationwide police response.
“When an MP participates in such a comical act of self-abduction, it creates despondency among the population and diminishes the seriousness of actual abductions,” Murkomen said. “Someone writes a script, abducts themselves, and claims they were attacked by a secret squad only to spend the night partying.”
The Interior CS emphasized the government’s commitment to safeguarding all Kenyans but warned that anyone found faking security threats will face legal action. He urged Parliament to enact a comprehensive legal framework that penalizes individuals who fabricate abductions.
“President William Ruto has ensured that extrajudicial killings and unlawful detentions are things of the past. But now people are exploiting that progress to stage fake kidnappings,” he said.
Murkomen called on lawmakers to strengthen laws around enforced disappearances, stressing that such behavior should not be tolerated and must be met with serious consequences.
