NAIROBI, Kenya — Wajir County Assembly Minority Leader Yussuf Hussein Tolfiyo, who mysteriously disappeared in Nairobi last September, has confirmed he was abducted and held in the same torture facility as the three Kitengela activists.
Hussein’s disappearance on September 13, 2024, had sparked fears and widespread outcry, with authorities remaining tight-lipped about his whereabouts.
Now, following his unexpected release on Saturday night, disturbing details have emerged about his six-month ordeal in captivity.
According to his cousin, Elyas Abdille, the Dela Ward MCA was confined in Nairobi for two months before being transferred to an unknown location.
A separate family source, speaking anonymously, disclosed that Hussein was locked up in a torture chamber adjacent to where activists Bob Njagi, Jamil Longton, and Nadhif Longton were being held.
“He was in a different room but could hear Njagi screaming,” the source said.
This revelation aligns with previous claims by Njagi, who, while speaking on Citizen TV’s JKLive on February 6, said he saw an MCA being tortured in a nearby cell.
“The MCA for Wajir County, who was found murdered, was actually in the room next to where I was. I peeped through the keyhole and saw him,” Njagi claimed.
Hussein was abducted in broad daylight along Enterprise Road in Nairobi’s Industrial Area while traveling in a taxi.
Gunmen intercepted the vehicle, dragged him out, and bundled him into another car.
For six months, his family searched desperately, only to be met with silence from authorities.
In October 2024, a decomposed body with torture marks was retrieved from Lake Yahud in Wajir, initially believed to be Hussein’s remains.
The discovery sent shockwaves across Wajir County, but two separate DNA tests later ruled out the possibility, deepening the mystery surrounding his fate.
After 179 days in captivity—56 days longer than the Kitengela activists—Hussein was finally released.
His captors, suspected to be state security agents, reportedly dumped him at Pangani shopping center at 9:30 p.m., handing him KSh 5,000 for transport and warning him not to look back.
The abduction and prolonged detention of Hussein have reignited outrage, with political leaders demanding accountability.
Eldas MP Adan Keynan, a relative of the MCA, condemned the abduction, calling for those responsible to face justice.
“We are grateful that our kin was found alive, but we demand answers. This kind of treatment is unacceptable,” Keynan stated.
Mandera Senator Ali Roba, leader of the United Democratic Movement (UDM), expressed concern over Hussein’s deteriorating health, suggesting he had endured severe torture.
“The people who picked him up are believed to be state agents. If anyone is suspected of wrongdoing, they should be taken through legal processes, not abducted and tortured,” Roba said.
Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi welcomed Hussein’s return but stressed the need for justice.
“Alhamdulillah! The people of Wajir endured months of anxiety and prayers. This reunion brings immense relief, but we must seek answers,” he said in a statement.
Hussein’s release, just days before the six-month statutory period since his disappearance, has raised further speculation about the timing and motives behind the abduction.
MP Keynan hinted at potential revelations soon.
“I don’t know why the release was done four days before the six-month mark. Time will tell, and I believe more details will emerge soon,” he said.
With mounting pressure on the government to address the surge in enforced disappearances, Hussein’s ordeal is yet another chilling reminder of Kenya’s deepening human rights crisis.
