Uriri Member of Parliament Mark Nyamita has raised concern over what he describes as a growing trend of criminal elements hiding behind the current wave of protests to carry out abductions and acts of violence, while shifting blame to the state.

Speaking during a political talk show on a local television station on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, Nyamita called for a more objective analysis of recent cases involving missing persons, insisting that not all such cases point to government involvement.

“Not all abductions or killings are state-led,” Nyamita said, citing a recent case to illustrate his point. “There was a case of a young man, for example, called Ndiang’ui. The parents were so emotional; they said the DCI went to his home and picked him up, and they even moved to court. Everyone was quite concerned. It later emerged that he was in hiding,” he added.

Nyamita warned that some criminal elements are using the public’s growing suspicion of state security agencies to their advantage.

“There are criminal elements within the country taking advantage of the ongoing vibe that the government is abducting people, because every time someone is picked up, police issue a statement that someone is being held. All others must be treated as criminal elements. When someone is lost, we should not assume that they have been abducted,” he said.

His remarks come at a time when public confidence in law enforcement has been under sharp scrutiny, particularly following reports of enforced disappearances during recent anti-government protests. While human rights defenders have pointed fingers at state operatives, Nyamita insists the issue is more layered.

He added that although the history of police brutality in Kenya cannot be denied, it should not be used as a blanket explanation for all disappearances or deaths reported during this period.

“The issue of police brutality against citizens has been with us for far too long and must come to an end. Unless we confront these issues head-on, we will only continue to accumulate unresolved grievances.” Nyamita added

Nyamita’s comments come in the wake of an emotionally charged national discourse on the rise of protest-related violence, disappearances, and deaths, many of which have been linked, directly or indirectly, to the state’s response to public dissent. He called for balanced investigations and urged Kenyans to avoid concluding without facts.

As protests erupt in different parts of the country, voices like Nyamita’s are shedding light on just how difficult it has become to tell apart genuine security operations, criminal acts, and misinformation, especially in a climate charged with political and economic uncertainty.