The National Police Service (NPS) has dismissed claims that Kenya is experiencing a sharp rise in missing children cases, attributing the perception to heightened public awareness, increased social media activity, and the spread of misleading online content.
Police Spokesperson Michael Muchiri said official police records do not support assertions that the country is facing an unprecedented crisis involving missing children.
Speaking on the matter, Muchiri noted that although cases of missing children continue to be reported, the growing visibility of such incidents online has amplified public concern.
“We really don’t have a surge as it has been portrayed. We are now living in a world that is getting much more aware and much more conscious. Social media today is playing a bigger role in informing and even in news-making,” he said.
According to the police spokesperson, investigations have revealed that some videos and clips circulating online are recycled from past incidents, while others have been manipulated using artificial intelligence tools.
He warned that the spread of false or misleading content risks causing unnecessary panic and creating the impression of a national emergency.
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“We have also noticed during our analysis the intrusion of AI and fake content. Some of the clips we have seen in recent times are recycled and have been seen at some other point. It places the country at a point where people suddenly start thinking there is a surge or a national emergency of these cases. That is not the case at all,” Muchiri said.
He urged the public to remain calm and rely on verified information as discussions around child safety continue.
“The best approach when talking about these matters is to remain calm, have the facts before us and then see how we can move forward,” he added.
Muchiri disclosed that police records indicate 139 missing children cases have been reported so far this year. He said authorities recorded 754 cases in 2025 and 1,276 cases in 2024.
Of the cases reported this year, 41 are pending before the courts while 52 remain under active police investigations, according to the NPS.
However, concerns over child safety continue to grow among rights advocates and legal professionals.
Former Law Society of Kenya president Faith Odhiambo raised alarm over the state of child protection in the country, citing figures she said reflected a deepening crisis.
In a statement shared on her social media platforms, Odhiambo claimed that between January 2025 and March 2026, Kenya recorded 10,581 child protection cases, including 1,952 abductions and 173 trafficking incidents.
“That is 23 children a day,” she stated.
Odhiambo also pointed to several recent incidents, including the alleged kidnapping of a two-year-old child in Githurai and protests in Juja after four children reportedly disappeared within two weeks.
“In Central 372 violence against children incidents in under a year. This is a national emergency,” she said.
The Penal Code provides for life imprisonment for kidnappers. “I want to see DCI and DPP match that seriousness with urgent investigations and full prosecutions, not just press releases,” Odhiambo said.
She urged Kenyans to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities involving children.
“To every Kenyan, watch the children around you. Speak up and report because if we do not protect our children, we have failed at the most fundamental duty of a society. Our children are not a footnote,” she added.
She further called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to intensify investigations and ensure perpetrators are prosecuted.
By Obegi Malack
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