Juja residents protest rising child abductions on Thika Superhighway

Activities along the busy Thika Superhighway were temporarily disrupted on Wednesday after residents of Witeithie, Maraba and Muthaara areas in Juja staged protests over a surge in child abductions.

The demonstrators blocked sections of the highway for about 30 minutes, accusing police of laxity and slow response despite what they described as a worrying rise in cases targeting children in their neighbourhoods.

Speaking to journalists at Witeithie, residents claimed at least four children have been abducted from Maraba and Muthaara within the past two weeks. Two of the children were later found alive, while the fate of the others remains unclear.

One of the most recent incidents involved a Grade Nine pupil who was allegedly abducted on Monday while running an errand to a nearby shop in Maraba. The child was later found late at night in Kimuchu village, Kiganjo area, several kilometres from her home.

Protesters demanded intensified police patrols, swift investigations and the arrest of suspected traffickers operating in the area. They warned that continued inaction could force residents to take matters into their own hands.

Traffic flow was restored after police intervened and calmed the situation.