NAIROBI, Kenya – A Kahawa Law Court has formally terminated an abduction case involving 15 officers from the disbanded Special Services Unit (SSU) who had been linked to the 2022 disappearance of two Indian nationals and their Kenyan taxi driver.
Principal Magistrate Gideon Kiage issued the ruling on Monday, citing a prior order by the High Court that directed the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to drop the abduction charges in favour of an ongoing murder case on the same matter.
“The matter before this court is hereby terminated under Section 87A of the Criminal Procedure Code,” ruled Kiage, bringing an end to months of stalled proceedings caused by the DPP’s delay in complying with the High Court order.
The officers are accused in connection with the disappearance of Mohamed Zaid Sami Kidwai, Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan, and Nicodemus Mwania Mwange — events that allegedly took place on the night of July 22-23, 2022.
Although they had been facing a total of 17 counts in the abduction case, the same officers are also before the High Court where they are charged with murder related to the same incident.
The prosecution had resisted efforts to terminate the case, arguing that there was no valid High Court order.
But in May 2025, High Court Judge Abigael Mshila ruled that the abduction charges against the 15 officers — 13 from SSU, one from the National Intelligence Service (NIS), and one from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) — must be withdrawn.
Despite that directive, the DPP delayed taking action, prompting multiple adjournments and raising concerns about prolonged delays in justice.
The accused had pleaded not guilty to all charges during their arraignment in October 2023.
A month later, they were released on Sh3 million bond or Sh1 million cash bail, with one contact person.
They are represented by a legal team led by Clinton Mwale and Danstan Omari.
Earlier, the Court of Appeal had rejected the DPP’s bid to revoke their bail, ruling that while witness protection is important, it does not override the constitutional right to bail without clear evidence of interference.
