Rights groups announced on Friday that three Kenyans involved in a highly publicised abduction case have been released, alleging that security forces had kept them captive for weeks after their involvement in anti-government demonstrations.
The trio were reportedly taken by individuals claiming to be police on August 19 in Kitengela, about 30 kilometres south of Nairobi.
Social media images depicted two men, appearing distressed, following their release in a remote area late Thursday. Cornelius Oduor of the Kenyan Human Rights Commission confirmed their release and expressed concern about the men’s apparent distress, indicating a prolonged period of captivity.
The location where Bob Njagi, Aslam Longton, and his brother Jamil Longton were held remains unconfirmed, but Oduor strongly believes it was by Kenyan security agents. The two brothers were left in a remote area outside Nairobi, as the president of the Kenyan Law Society reported, while Njagi turned up at the Tigoni police station.
The case has been the centre of attention in Kenyan media recently, especially after a Nairobi court found acting police chief Gilbert Masengeli in contempt for failing to appear to address the three men’s disappearance. Masengeli was given until Friday to appear in court to avoid a six-month prison sentence.
The Independent Police Oversight Authority stated that it was investigating numerous complaints of unlawful arrests and kidnappings following the large-scale anti-government protests that broke out in Kenya in June. The protests resulted in over 60 fatalities, which led to the resignation of police chief Japhet Koome.
In February 2023, three law enforcement officers received sentences ranging from 24 years in prison to capital punishment for the vicious killing of human rights lawyer Willie Kimani and two others. Their bodies were discovered wrapped in sacks and dumped in a river outside Nairobi in June 2016.