Held in a pitch-dark room, with a dim lightbulb to allow the CCTV equipment to capture every move —and kept stark naked for 32 days.
This was the horror of the Kitengela Three, a reference to the trio that had been abducted and held incommunicado for more than one month by unknown people believed to be State security agents despite a determined push in court by the Law Society of Kenya and human rights groups that they are produced, dead or alive.
In a recorded interview with Citizen Assembly
The other member of the Kitengela Three was activist Bob Njagi, who has kept off the public and media limelight.
The trio were released by their captors on September 20, on the same day Deputy Inspector General of Police (Administration Police) Gilbert Masengeli was to start a six-month jail term for contempt of court for snubbing summons seven times to explain the whereabouts of the three men.
Mr Masengeli’s contempt was purged on the same after he appeared in court and pleaded for forgiveness from Justice Lawrence Mugambi.
It was on a Monday and my brother (Jamil) called me at 1 pm and told me to drive him somewhere because he was not feeling well. I went home, did my cleaning and joined him at his home so that we could start the journey.
Just as I opened the gate and I was leaving the parking area, I saw there was one vehicle parked in front of us and a madam was shouting, ‘It is him’. I closed the gate got back into the car and started the engine so that we could leave.
At the first entrance, there was a Toyota Vitz. A white Subaru approached us and we were immediately removed from our car and put in the boot. I could not see where we were going.
On that Monday, I went to work as normal at Kitengela where I work at the County government of Kajiado. I told my boss there were some errands I was running and he allowed me to go home. I called my brother who has a car with a lower CC (cubic capacity, in reference to a vehicle’s engine) so that I could go with it to Isinya.
My car’s CC is 2,000 while his rating is 1,500. He told me to go pick it up from EPZ (Export Processing Zone). I took a motorbike and went and brought the vehicle. I have not been feeling well since the beginning of this year in January up until August.
I called my younger brother (Aslam) and told him he should come and drive me home since I was not feeling well. He cleaned the car. My kids had gone for their Madrasa on that day. The kids got back home and we took lunch together as a family. I relaxed and at 2 pm, we were to leave.
He opened the gate and parked the vehicle and got back to lock the gate. I was not so keen because this is my home and I have stayed there for 15 years. I knew it was a safe place but just as we left the gate after 10 metres, there was a Toyota Vitz parked.
I wanted to alight and confront him for parking the vehicle wrongly but I just avoided it. As we were heading towards Namanga, a white Subaru came and blocked us. My brother shouted, ‘They have come for me.
They look like DCI (Directorate of Criminal Investigation detectives)’. They slapped us and put us into the white Subaru but I kept asking them if they would identify themselves. I told them I did not have any criminal record and we should proceed to Kitengela police station so that we could know what the case was.
I told them I had the number of the OCS Kitengela and we could call him. They took our phones and they switched them off at 2 pm and we were covered with heavy jackets. It was difficult to even breathe.
They handcuffed us. I asked them if they would allow us to open the jacket so that we could breathe because I was almost dying but they slapped us. We left.
There were five people. Three of them left with us while the other two were left behind to look after the car. They wanted to come with the car but it seems it was difficult due to the cut out. But we were later told they left the vehicle there and my brother came to take it.
My brother was called to a meeting on September 7 with the county security teams. My brother called me the following day after the meeting to his home. I went and he told me that I had been actively involved in maandamano (anti-government protests) and that it was not good.
He told me they have been seeing me at the frontline during maandamano and that I should calm down since my life is in danger if I appear on the frontline. I should take the backseat.
The government is on fire and is tracking down those involved in maandamano . The team brought together the head of the DCI in Kajiado county and other security officers. He told me they had warned him.
Once I was put in the car, I recalled all the stories that I had heard of people’s bodies being collected near rivers and I knew maybe I would be one of them. I felt that my life was slipping away. I was very tense. I felt I will not be back.
We went all the way and joined Namanga highway and we finally parked at NITA. Once the vehicle was parked there, I had a badge on my neck showing that I was working with the county government. They took the badge and I heard them make phone calls.
The one on the driver’s seat was the one making the phone calls. They had a list and they had ticked the name of my brother. He told the other person on the call that they had got hold of one of the guys in the list who was my brother.
They told me I should say my ID number off-head to make sure the job ID tallies with what my ID. They had a device and they confirmed.
They were then told, ‘You abducted the wrong person. Jamil is not involved and should not be abducted’. But they had already abducted me and I had seen all that they had done. So, they made a choice not to let me go.
So, they removed the jacket and I would be able to see very well. They were driving very fast and every time they would come across traffic jam, they would put on the siren. We parked the car at Cabanas and they made phone calls to wait for the two other guys we had left at Kitengela. They finally arrived.
They asked us where we come from and we told them that we hail from Kakamega County in Mumias. It happened that most of them know even our families at home. Some of them had worked in those areas and they knew our family.
There was a young man among the five people who ransacked my pockets. I had Sh14,500 in my trouser pockets and Sh5,000 on my shirt and the other pocket I had Sh1,500. They covered me and they took the money. They did not return the money. We were only given Sh300 after being released.
We were picked at 2pm and we had only two stops. But I would hear Mwadhini and once you hear that as Muslim you can easily know that it is 4pm in the evening.
The driver was an old man and he was of Kamba ethnicity I would hear him conversing with his family. He said it was too hot and he should park the car under the shade. We were supposed to be handed to another team.
They removed our jackets and we were blindfolded—they only left a little space to breath. You cannot see anything. They even changed the handcuffs. They had a tracking device and they would track our phone numbers. They also had guns. They said they have worked at Mumias.
So, I tried to connect: my home is just opposite Mumias Police Station and I knew maybe they might be police officers. We now left and we were taken to another place that we would be taken for the next 32 days.
The room is like an office partitioned with boards that are painted black. Once you arrive, they handcuff you, there are metals mounted on the wall and you are tied on the metal rod.
For the first two days we were together but after that we were separated. They used to bring us tea in the morning with bread and supper. It was difficult to know the time since you cannot differentiate between day and night. You cannot see anything; Only the CCTV had a dim light. You cannot see anyone coming in. We never saw the rest of the people. There are times you would go up to 48 hours without seeing anyone coming to visit you or being given food.
The food was being cooked just there. We could hear people cooking while speaking on phone.. I would hear them talk about their families and getting back to school. One of them was very aggressive and inhuman.
On the first day, he came with a nyaunyo (whip) and a pipe and he did not even talk to us. He just started beating us. They removed all our clothes and he beat us with kicks and blows. After beating us, he left and he came back.
He came back and said, “You are going to tell us where you are getting the money to fund maandamano,” It is then that we connected and realised that we were arrested for the protests.
He asked me who was funding the protests but I told them I had gone to represent myself as a Kenyan, there is no external financing that I have received. I have never received any money from someone else. I just went to express myself as a Kenyan.
After the two days we were separated and he tortured me. He would beat me using kicks blows. There are times I would tell them that I was praying but he would come kick me and tell me prayers are not allowed. I was not allowed to pray since you are tied with handcuffs on one hand and tied to the mounted metal on the wall.
About going for the long and short calls, there were five-litre containers that were on the corners and you would use them for the long call and the short call. Afterwards when it is full, they would come and lead you to a toilet where you would empty the container and clean it. Once you are in the washroom, they lock all the other doors but there is someone watching over you. He warns you that once you try running away, he will kill you. So I told them I will comply with everything.
I took a bath twice for the 32 days that I was there. You are given permission to take a bath but there is a man standing there next to you as you take your bath. I did not have the freedom. We took off all our clothes on the first day and for the 32 days we did not have our clothes on. We were naked just like we were born. It is only at night when you are covering yourself with a blanket.
For the first two weeks, they were aggressive but afterwards they were soft.
There is one of the people abducted that I spoke to in the room. He told me his home and told me that if I become free, I should go and inform his family. But I do not even know if I am free yet because of the threats that I was given. They told me that if I dare come out to the media and explain what happened, they will come after me and once they come for me, they will kill me.
I would like to tell those in government and any other person that we are all human beings and let us treat each other with dignity.
I thank everyone and all those who were involved to let us free. I thank you all and I know that God is the giver of life. We came back safe and we were even given some fare to get home safe. We cannot say that all the police officers are rogue, there were a few who took care of us while in custody. Every person has their rights.
I request that (if there is a problem) I should be taken to a police station because there is the rule of law. I should be given time to be taken to court and be taken through the process. We should all follow the Constitution.
If it is protests, we know that everyone went for maandamano but you cannot come out and single out a few people that they are behind the protests. I do not know why we were abducted after Maandamano imeisha (the protests have ended). Let us all follow the law and the constitution.
Those who abducted us were able to go through our phones. They went through my phone and realised that most of the people I was conversing with were senior government officers. They realised that it is not possible that I was involved in planning the protests. They kept giving me hope that I would be let free.
On September 20, we heard a vehicle coming. It was a Prado and we were used to it (it was usually driven in and out). During that time, it had gone out for a few days but it had not been back for close to three days. When it came back, all the cameras were switched off and they started using the torches. I was given my clothes. Once you are given clothes there, it is like being told you are going home. I knew I was going home alone. But later I realised that he (his brother) was also coming along.
They covered us with the tapes and blindfolded us then took us out of the chambers. We were put in the boot.
As Muslims we are supposed to pray facing the north. I tried asking them where the north is but they told me we do not have such things here. There is no worship and prayers. So, I just prayed to any direction hoping that Allah will accept my prayers.
My kids were going back to school and I had not spent time with them. My son saw what happened to us and he was really affected. I felt a lot of pain and the truth of other matter is he did not sleep. My family has been through a lot of trauma but I pray that God will heal them.
I thank them for the wells wishers who assisted my family during the entire period. Those visiting would come with food and shopping sometimes for the guests and that is how they survived.
There was someone who kept calling me by my TikTok name while in detention but I wouldn’t hear well. I did not respond because I did not know who it was. It is only after I came out that Bob Njagi told me he was the one who was trying to call me.
