An Eldoret family now believes a new video by terrorist group Al-Shabaab shows their kin, a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier who served in Somalia under the Operation Linda Nchi (Protect the Country) programme, and was believed to be dead after being abducted by the insurgents eight years ago.
Abdullahi Issa Ibrahim is believed to have been abducted by the Al-Shabaab during the 2016 El Adde African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) base camp attack, which happened barely five years after the KDF launched the incursion in the country.
He was among KDF soldiers based at El-Adde camp in Gedo, before the deadly January 15, 2016 dawn attack that left at least 173 Kenyan soldiers dead and scores of others injured.
Believing that he had been killed, his family in Eldoret had given up on seeing him alive and gone ahead to perform death and burial rituals in line with Islamic beliefs.
The family had even received a death permit from KDF and used it to secure other vital documents from the government.
His wife and the mother of his five children had suffered a stroke after their father went missing and has remained in a coma since then.
On Wednesday, January 15, however, his family received a report that their kin was alive following a video clip allegedly posted on social media by the Al Shabaab militia.
Following the video, the family is convinced that their kin is alive.
“As a family, we were convinced that he was killed by Al-Shabaab six years ago, but when we saw the video we are now certain that he is alive,” said Katra, his eldest daughter.
Speaking to journalists at the Eldoret Maili Nne estate home of the KDG soldier, Ms Katra said the video footage was of her father whom she authoritatively identified.
She said before the video footage was posted, she received a call from her father who told him that he was alive.
“At 10pm, I received a call from a strange number in Somalia. The person claimed to be my father Issa Abdullahi Ibrahim. At first, we were shocked and confused, but while speaking to me I assured him that we were well taken care of by the military and assured him that we were doing great,” said Katra, the eldest in a family of five siblings.
She said her mother suffered a stroke after their father went missing and has remained in a coma since then.
Ms Katra said during the conversation with her father, she asked him to request his abductors to send the family his current video, to which he promised that his abductors were going to send the video through their media.
She insists that she identified the voice as her father and went on to request him to request his abductors to send the family either his recent photo or video to enable them to start a journey of finding him help.
Ms Katra said true to their promise, the al-Shabaab abductors had posted the video through an X page perceived to belong to them.
The video has, however, since been pulled down, but family and friends had saved a copy before.
Following the video, the family says it strongly believes that their kin is still alive contrary to their prior belief that he was killed by the militia.
Ms Katra said from the conversation with her father, it was clear that he was a desperate person in need of help.
The family is now pleading with the Kenya government to intervene and ensure the release of the abducted man.
“My appeal to the President as a father and commander in chief of the armed forces is to kindly help us to bring our father home,” appealed Ms Katra.
Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) North Rift Chairman Sheikh Abubakar Bini led prayers for the family, with Sheikh Bini imploring the government to respond to the family's cry.
“This family is passing through a painful moment and the honorable thing that our government should do is to use its powers to intervene and rescue Ibrahim and bring him back home,” he said.
Civil society groups in Eldoret led by activist Musa Barno urged the government to use all available means to help the family bring the Kenyan soldier who is now 61 years old back home.
“Mr President, this is your hometown. We kindly ask you to intervene to have Ibrahim released from Somalia. Please bring him back home,” said Mr Barno.
Kenya started withdrawing its troops from the country in April 2022, and last year, then Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale told the National Assembly that the last troops would leave by December 31, 2024.
