Police spokesperson Michael Muchiri /SCREENGRAB
The National Police Service has dismissed claims that Kenya is experiencing a surge in missing children cases, saying increased public awareness, social media activity, and fake online content are creating the impression of a growing crisis.
Police Spokesperson Michael Muchiri said while cases of missing children continue to be reported, official police data does not support claims of a sudden spike.
According to him, the rise in online conversations about missing children is largely due to a more informed and conscious public as well as faster dissemination of information through social media platforms.
“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.
Muchiri said police investigations have also established that some of the videos and clips circulating online were either recycled from previous incidents or manipulated using artificial intelligence tools.
He warned that the spread of such content risks creating unnecessary panic among Kenyans and giving the false impression that the country is facing an emergency involving missing children.
“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.
The police spokesperson urged the public to remain calm and rely on verified information while discussions around missing children 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 said.
Muchiri revealed that official police records show that 139 missing children cases have been reported so far this year. He said police recorded 754 cases in 2025 and 1,276 cases in 2024.
Out of the cases reported this year, 41 are pending before the courts while 52 remain under active police investigations, according to the police spokesperson.
