Kenyan police dismiss rumours of 'disappearing body parts', warn against spreading false claims

Africa, Crime Diary

MOMBASA, Kenya (NPA) — Kenyan police have dismissed as false and baseless rumours circulating on social media alleging that people in parts of the country’s Coast region are mysteriously losing body parts after greeting strangers.

The Coast Regional Criminal Investigations Officer, Benson Kasyoki, made the clarification during a press briefing, urging residents of Kwale, Kilifi and Mombasa counties to disregard the claims and remain calm.

According to Kasyoki, reports suggesting that individuals lose their male private parts after shaking hands or greeting strangers have no factual or medical basis.

“This is completely false information. It’s baseless and there’s no proof of that. Medical experts confirmed there was no loss of organs, physical harm or disappearance in any of the reported cases,” he said.

The senior police officer explained that criminal groups were exploiting the rumours to distract members of the public before carrying out robberies and muggings.

“What we are witnessing is just a tactic by criminals calculated to distract members of the public so that they can rob them,” Kasyoki said.

He appealed to members of the public to stop sharing the unverified claims on social media platforms, including TikTok and WhatsApp, warning that the rumours were creating unnecessary panic.

“It has not been verified,” he said, urging residents to report any suspicious incidents to the nearest police station or Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) office.

Kasyoki disclosed that police had so far recorded 19 related incidents, with 17 cases already before the courts, while investigations into the remaining cases are ongoing.

He also confirmed that authorities are investigating two deaths, one each in Mombasa and Kilifi, in connection with separate incidents.

According to him, individuals who claimed to have lost their private parts after encounters with strangers were medically examined, after which the allegations were found to be false.

Police subsequently arrested the complainants for making false claims.

Kasyoki warned that law enforcement agencies would not tolerate the deliberate spread of misinformation capable of causing public panic.

He said anyone found fabricating or circulating false reports would face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.