Kenyans are concerned about the escalation of kidnapping instances in the country, which they believe is linked to the countrywide protests over the Finance Bill 2024.
This comes after social media influencers thought to be leading or vocal about the protests were mysteriously kidnapped by officers and taken to unknown locations, only to be freed hours later after public outcry.
At the time of this publishing, at least four known abductions and one attempted case had been reported, sparking mixed reactions.
In this article, WoK looks at the four X, formerly Twitter, influencers who were abducted and later released by people believed to be state officers.
Emmaculate (@TeiMutuku)
Emmaculate, a popular figure on X, is among influencers who were abducted by state agencies over the ongoing Finance Bill 2024 protests.
The medical practitioner who led demonstrations in Nyeri was abducted on her way to Nairobi to visit her boyfriend who was involved in a minor accident.
Speaking on X Spaces which enables live audio conversations, Emmaculate claimed she was abducted aboard a 2NK matatu.
Moments after leaving Nyeri, she observed a double cab pick-up trailing the matatu she was in moments before it stopped.
Emmaculate said people holding guns came out of the vehicle and demanded her to exit the matatu after which she was taken away.
In a post on her X, Emmaculate noted that she was handcuffed and blindfolded once she was bundled into the car, “It wasn’t cops. Four masked guys in that jeshi regalia. All of them with guns. I was handcuffed & blindfolded. But they didn’t manhandle me beyond that.”
She was driven to a secret location where she was locked into the house with the handcuffs she had replaced with zip locks.
Emmaculate also mentioned that she was provided with food, a place to sleep and offered a chance to take a shower although she was physically assaulted by one of her abductors.
She was whipped after breaking out of the room she was locked in, and also threatened with a gun when her abductors feared she had known her location.
Emmaculate was released a day after her abduction after her abductors who identified themselves as state officers did not find any information about who might have been sponsoring the protests from her phone and laptop.
Billy Simani (@CrazyNairobian)
Billy Simani, otherwise known as Billy or Crazy Nairobian, was picked by people who identified themselves as cops at his house in Mwihoko.
According to podcaster Makarios Ouma, alias Mwafreeka, who spoke with Billy after his release, the X influencer was abducted, handcuffed, blindfolded and driven to an unknown location.
After a long journey and countless death threats, Billy who was handcuffed from the back was locked in a room that “had tiles on both the floor and walls.”
Unlike Emmaculate who was provided with a mattress and a blanket, Billy was left to spend the night in the cold room to the point that he was shivering by the time his abductors started interrogating him.
According to Mwafreeka, Billy was questioned about sponsors of the Finance Bill 2024 protests but after finding no evidence, the abductors were compelled to release him.
However, the abductors mentioned that they could only relelase Billy at night to avoid chaos or any form of aggression from members of the public.
He was eventually handed over to Law Society of Kenya (LSK) president Faith Odhiambo who put up a video confirming Billy’s release.
Billy later took to his X page and said, “I’m safe guys, thanks to all of you for your concern and thanks to the LSK President @FaithOdhiambo8 who did everything to ensure my safety and release.”
In a separate post, he offered his gratitude to all whomstood with him and demanded his release noting,
“Good morning fam, just know that I have seen all your messages, I’m trying to answer them as much as I can and I appreciate each and everyone of you. Thanks for your prayers and not giving up in the search. You guys are who you think you are. MY HEROS.”
Dr. Austin Omondi (@JaPrado)
Dr. Austin Gilbert Omondi or JaPrado is the founder of Medics for Kenya, an organisation that has been on the frontline to provide medical attention for protestors hurt during the Finance Bill 2024 protests.
Omondi has been on record saying that he has mobilized at least 4,000 medics across the country to help provide medical attention to those hurt in the ongoing protests.
It is this effort that saw him abducted from Sikh Union where he was overseeing a blood donation drive on Sunday afternoon.
In a post put up on his X account moments after his abduction, he noted that he was abducted right outside Sikh Union by officers from the National Intelligence Service (NIS).
“I was this afternoon abducted by the Kenya Police incummunicado and taken in by the NIS while conducting a blood donation drive at the Sikh Union. The car used was KCU 819H. My family and legal representatives have been denied access to me. I appeal for your support in demanding my immediate release,” he wrote.
However, Omondi was released after outrage on social media.
Shad Kiprono (@Shad_khalif)
Shad Kiprono also known as Shad Khalif was reportedly abducted while going about his business in South B, Nairobi County.
According to a CCTV footage that has been going viral online, Kiprono was abducted by people driving a white Toyota Prado.
While not much information has not been divulged about the same, it is understood that Kiprono is still missing at the time of this publishing.
Human rights activists including Boniface Mwangi, Njeri Wa Mwigwi and Hanifa Farsafi have demanded for his unconditional release.
