On Sunday, August 18, three human rights defenders based within Kitengela in Kajiado county held a space meeting on X, formerly Twitter, to discuss the current state of affairs in the country.
The three, Mr Jamil Longton Hashim, Mr Bob Michemi Njagi and Mr Gideon Muli, hosted the talk show on the state of the nation and devolution.
Mr Jamil, 42, and his brother Aslam Longton, 35, whose rural home is Mumias, were subsequently abducted by people believed to be police officers on Monday.
Mr Njagi was also kidnapped on Monday along Mombasa Road as he headed home from the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD).
A day before the meeting took place on X, Mr Njagi, Mr Aslam and Mr Melisa Lone Kirisua had written a letter to the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Kitengela Police Station informing him of their plans to hold demonstrations that were to take place this week.
In the letter, a copy of which is in our possession, they said that the demonstrations were to take place on Tuesday and Thursday this week.
“We wish to notify you of a peaceful demonstration/protest/signature collection drive (Peoples’ referendum) which is scheduled to be held countrywide and in specific Kitengela Township as per article 37 of the Constitution of Kenya,” the letter reads in part.
They also issued specific areas where the demonstrations were to take place which include; Namanga Road, Prisons Road, Deliverance Road, Miriam’s Road, Tropicana Road, Baraka Road, Market Road and Viwanda Road.
In addition, they said that the demonstrations would take place as from 6am to 5pm.
“We hereby serve you this notice and humbly request that you provide us with security during the exercise. We shall observe and maintain law and order,” the letter reads.
Following the youth protests that erupted in June and culminated in the raid of Parliament on June 25, the government has been cracking down on organisers including through extra judicial measures like enforced disappearances.
Mr Jamil and his brother Aslam were abducted in broad daylight within Kitengela Town. According to witnesses, armed men with walkie-talkies bundled them into a white Subaru which sped off. Their mobile phones were switched off immediately.
For Mr Njagi he was allegedly picked along Mombasa road when the Matatu he was traveling in from Nairobi was intercepted by people believed to be police officers and who had covered their faces.
Mr Njagi who is the chairperson of an organisation called Free Kenya Movement and Mr Aslam had actively participated in the anti-government protests and used to notify the area OCS.
The abduction of the two took place barely two weeks after President William Ruto said that he will not allow security agencies to forcefully pick people and hold them incommunicado.
On July 28, President Ruto, while addressing a public meeting, dismissed claims that people had been abducted.
He asked that if there was any family that was having a case where someone disappeared then they should report the matter.
“If there is any Kenyan who went missing, I want people to step forward and speak about it. I will be very happy to deal with that,” he said.
On Thursday, Nation caught up with relatives and friends of the three missing persons who were at the Kitengela Police Station to find out their fate.
The group was carrying missing persons’ photographs. A family member said that the officers at the station didn’t give them answers about who had kidnapped their loved ones and where they were being held.
Nation learnt that for the last four days, the family of Aslam and Jamil have been searching for them in Kiambu, Nairobi and Kajiado Counties in vain. They said that they have visited police stations, hospitals and even morgues.
Mr Abdulazak Longton told Nation his two brothers were picked by four individuals who identified themselves as police officers.
"The hawk eyed armed individuals in suits waylaid my brother's few meters from the rental plot. They blocked my brother vehicle with a white Subaru station wagon before demanding to take Mr Aslam away,” he said.
Mr Adulazak further said that in the process a scuffle ensued but the suspected officers managed to bundle them into the Subaru.
Ms Sara Mohamed who is the wife of Jamil said that her husband and brother were abducted as they headed to a party that was taking place in Isinya, Kajiado County.
"My husband and the brother in law were abducted around 1.30 Pm. Immediately they left the house for a party in Isinya. He had not shown any panic whatsoever before the incident,” said Ms Mohamed.
A boda boda rider, who saw the brothers being seized, told Nation the individuals were armed and had police walkie talkies.
"The white Subaru was parked at the corner of the feeder road for hours before they pounced on the brothers. They must have been police officers," the rider who spoke in confidence due to the sensitivity of the matter said in confidence.
For Mr Njagi, ever since the anti-government protests kicked off he has had run ins with the police.
His fellow activist ,Mr Charles Swakei, told Nation Mr Njagi was abducted by police officers who had flagged down a Kitengela-bound bus at Mlolongo town.
"Bob was in Nairobi the entire day. We were to meet around 10pm in Kitengela for a brief meeting but he was picked by police officers. We suspect his abductors switched off his phone," said Swakei demanding his release.
Isinya Sub County Police Commander Mr Patrick Manyasi denied the trio were arrested by the police. The same sentiments were echoed by his Kitengela Directorate of Criminal Investigation boss Mr Joseph Indeke.
"We have received a report of missing persons. We are investigating," said Mr Indeke.
A search of Mr Jamil in the Kenyan Law, which is a website that is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the development of Kenya’s court cases, shows that Mr Jamil has had cases in court in the past.
However, the Nation has not found any link between his cases and the abduction that took place this week.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) recorded 66 cases of people who went missing and the cases have been linked to the anti-government protests.
Some of those that had been declared missing have been found alive but do not want to discuss the predicament they went through when they were abducted.
