The alleged abduction of outspoken government critic and self-declared Democratic Change Party (DCP) Baringo branch chairman Vincent Kipsang over the weekend has sparked panic in Kabarnet.
The vocal businessman and blogger popularly known as ‘Zonko Classic’ among locals was reportedly abducted on Sunday evening by unknown individuals who bundled him into a waiting Subaru vehicle in the SS area of Kabarnet, Baringo Central Sub-county.
Kipsang is a fierce critic of President William Ruto’s government and a prominent proponent of the ‘Wantam’ slogan, which has gained traction in Baringo and surrounding regions.
Undated photos of Vincent Kipsang alias Zonko Classic, a blogger cum businessman and a self-declared chairman of DCP party in Baringo County, who was allegedly abducted on Sunday evening at his shop in SS area on the outskirts of Kabarnet town.
Photo credit: Pool | Nation
According to witnesses, plainclothes men arrived in two Subaru vehicles and a Toyota Land Cruiser, took Kipsang from his shop and sped off to an undisclosed location.
His sudden disappearance has raised concern among family members and the community, with many suspecting political motives behind the act, given his outspoken opposition to the Kenya Kwanza administration. The father of two has frequently criticised the government, making his alleged abduction particularly alarming for supporters and human rights groups.
Witnesses claimed that the men identified themselves as officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Kipsang’s wife, Angela Chesang, said the incident unfolded so quickly that only children playing outside the shop noticed and raised the alarm.
“I rushed out from the house next to our shop and found the door open but unattended. The vehicles had already left and my husband was nowhere to be seen,” she said.
Shortly after, she received a phone call from her husband instructing her to take his ID to the Kabarnet Police Station, where he said he had been taken.
Upon arrival, she was told to hand over the ID to the officers and wait for her husband at Muthaiga Police Station in Nairobi.
Undated photos of Vincent Kipsang alias Zonko Classic, a blogger cum businessman and a self-declared chairman of DCP party in Baringo County, who was allegedly abducted on Sunday evening at his shop in SS area on the outskirts of Kabarnet town.
Photo credit: Pool | Nation
She later attempted to reach him again, but both his phone lines were switched off.
“If he has committed any offence, I plead with the authorities not to harm him. Let them take him to court and charge him. He is the family’s breadwinner and our children are still young. I’m just praying for his safety,” she said.
When contacted, Baringo County Police Commander Julius Kiragu denied any knowledge of the incident, saying Kipsang was neither booked at Kabarnet Police Station nor reported missing.
“I’m not informed about such a case. No missing person report has been filed and the said individual was not booked here. If indeed he was taken, follow up with the DCI,” Mr Kiragu told Daily Nation .
County Criminal Investigations Officer (CCIO) Kiama Gichimi was equally cautious in his response, suggesting the case might be under the jurisdiction of DCI officers from Nairobi.
“I’m not aware of the matter, but if the wife claims he was first taken to Kabarnet Police Station and then to Muthaiga in Nairobi, then it may have been an arrest, not an abduction,” said Mr Gichimi.
