Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has shed light on his recent meeting with Kibet Bull, a popular influencer on X (formerly Twitter), who went missing shortly after their encounter.
During a press briefing on Thursday, December 26, 2024, Omtatah disclosed details of their meeting while calling for the immediate release of Kibet and other missing youth.
According to Omtatah, Kibet, an Egerton University student, visited his office on December 24. “Kibet came to my office between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to introduce himself and explore the possibility of joining my team before his scheduled flight to Israel for further studies at Tel Aviv University,” the senator explained.
Omtatah further noted that Kibet planned to stay at his brother’s home in Kikuyu, Kiambu County, until his departure, adding that the student showed no signs of concern about his safety during their meeting.
Omtatah strongly denied allegations linking him to Kibet’s disappearance. This follows claims by political activist Francis Gaitho, who accused the senator of collaborating with “the regime” to target young activists. Gaitho’s post alleged that Omtatah was “selling out” youth to facilitate arrests and abductions.
In response, Omtatah termed the accusations as “absurd” and “deeply disturbing,” asserting that his lifelong commitment has been to justice and the rule of law. “These allegations are false, baseless, and frankly, quite imaginative. It seems I’ve suddenly been cast as the villain in someone’s fiction,” he stated in a post on X.
He urged the public to focus on identifying the real perpetrators behind Kibet’s disappearance. “If he has been harmed, we must concentrate on holding the actual culprits accountable, not entertaining conspiracy theories,” he said.
Kibet’s family reported that the influencer went missing while searching for his brother, Rony Kiplangat, who had also disappeared days earlier. According to Kibet’s sister, Mercy Cherotich, the family initially thought Kiplangat had gone to church but became concerned when he failed to return home.
“Kibet then traveled from Njoro to Nairobi to follow up on his brother’s case and attend a function with Senator Omtatah,” Cherotich explained. After the event, Kibet reportedly boarded a vehicle back to his friend’s home in Kikuyu but never arrived. Attempts to reach him have since been unsuccessful.
Kibet’s disappearance has sparked widespread concern, with civil society organizations, politicians, and the public demanding swift investigations. The cartoonist’s last known activity on X was at 5:39 p.m. on December 24, when he shared two satirical silhouettes.
Omtatah has joined the chorus of voices calling for justice, urging authorities to expedite efforts to locate the missing youth. “I appeal to law enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned in their investigations into these enforced disappearances,” he said.
As investigations continue, the families of both Kibet Bull and Rony Kiplangat remain hopeful for their safe return.
During the press conference, Omtatah also called for the release of all Kenyans abducted for posting their opinions on social media. These include Bill Mwangi, Peter Muteti Njeru, and Bernard Kavuli, who were allegedly abducted for posting AI-generated images of the President.
