Police dismiss claims of rising missing children cases, cite awareness boost

Police Spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga has pushed back against growing public alarm over missing children in the country, saying the current debate is being shaped more by how information spreads online than by an actual rise in cases.

Speaking o Citizen Tv on Monday night, Muchiri maintained that the country is not experiencing an unusual increase in missing children reports, but rather a shift in how quickly such reports reach the public.

“We don’t have a surge; it is only that we have a public that is more conscious, more aware, and then we have the spread of information, which is faster,” he said.

He added that the rise of digital platforms has changed the way the public engages with sensitive reports, warning that some of the content being widely circulated may not be genuine.

“We have the intrusion of AI and fakes. Some of the clips we have seen in recent times… this is something that is recycled,” he stated.

Muchiri urged Kenyans to rely on confirmed information before drawing conclusions on individual cases, stressing the need for calm and verification when dealing with such reports.

“The best approach when you are talking about these things is to have the calmness and the facts before us,” he added.

He further pointed to official statistics showing fluctuating figures over the years. “Official police records this year talk about 139 cases. In 2025, we had 754 cases that were officially reported. In 2024, we had 1276 cases that were reported. For this year, we have 41 cases that are pending under the jurisdiction of the court. We have 52 cases that are under investigation by the police department,” he said.

Government response

His comments come at a time when state agencies are stepping up coordinated efforts to strengthen child protection systems following a high-level meeting led by Gender, Culture and Children Services Cabinet Secretary Hanna Wendot Cheptumo.

The session brought together the National Police Service, Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Kenya National Human Rights Commission, Council of Governors, and child welfare groups to assess response gaps and improve handling of missing children cases.

Among the key decisions discussed were plans to fully activate the National Child Protection Command Centre to speed up emergency response, improve coordination between agencies, enhance tracking and rescue operations, and tighten case management procedures. The meeting also focused on improving psychosocial care, rehabilitation, and reintegration for affected children and families.

CS Hanna Cheptumo Wendot said the government remains focused on joint action with communities and other stakeholders.

“We will continue to work closely with communities, parents, civil society, faith leaders, development partners, and the media to strengthen awareness, vigilance and collective responsibility in safeguarding our children.”

Public concern

Even with assurances from police, concern remains high among members of the public following a series of recent child-related incidents reported in different parts of the country.

Law Society of Kenya President Charles Kanjama has termed missing children cases a “constitutional emergency” under Article 53, pushing for tougher anti-trafficking measures, improved tracking systems, and legal reforms aimed at strengthening child safety.

Recent incidents that have drawn attention include the disappearance and later recovery of Kenya High School student Joy Wanjiru Gathigia in Thika, the killing of Brighton Kibet in West Pokot, the discovery of nine-year-old Shantel Waruguru Kagema’s body in Nyeri, and the rescue of a three-year-old child in Malindi linked to suspected trafficking.

Child protection agencies continue to warn that not all cases are captured in official systems, even as thousands of reports involving missing, abandoned, and abducted children are recorded. Authorities have since intensified awareness campaigns and expanded the use of the Child Helpline 116 to improve reporting and response.