MLOLONGO, Kenya — Activist Boniface Mulinge Muteti has recounted his reported abduction ordeal, saying the people who allegedly took him had been following him from his home and questioned him about his activism.
Muteti spoke from a hospital bed on Friday as he continued receiving treatment after he was reportedly found dumped in the Lukenya area of Machakos County, days after disappearing in Nairobi.
“Those people were following me from the house. It’s not the first time,” Muteti said.
He said the people who took him repeatedly questioned him during the ordeal, making it difficult for him to determine why he had allegedly been abducted.
Muteti Says Abductors Questioned His Activism
According to Muteti, those involved in the incident asked him questions about his activism.
“They had so many questions, so it’s hard to know the specific reason. They abducted me and would ask me, ‘Kwa nini nimekuwa nasumbua?’” he said.
Muteti appeared distressed as he described the ordeal from his hospital bed.
His account has not been independently verified, and no person has been publicly identified or charged in connection with his reported disappearance.
Activist Found in Lukenya
Muteti was reportedly found in the Lukenya area at about 3am on Friday, after being missing for four days.
He was subsequently assisted and taken for medical treatment in Mlolongo.
The circumstances surrounding how he came to be in Lukenya and how he sustained the injuries remain unclear.
Civil Society Demands Investigation
Vocal Africa director Hussein Khalid was among civil society representatives who visited Muteti in hospital.
Khalid condemned the reported incident and called for investigations into the circumstances surrounding Muteti’s disappearance and subsequent discovery.
Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo, who was also present, said legal mechanisms would be pursued to establish what happened and ensure that anyone found responsible is held accountable.
He said a habeas corpus application could be considered.
Habeas corpus is a legal procedure through which a court can require a person or authority holding an individual to produce them before the court and explain the legal basis for the detention.
Muteti’s Disappearance Prompted Court Action
Muteti’s disappearance had prompted his family and human rights defenders to seek information about his whereabouts.
A petition was filed at the Milimani Law Courts seeking orders compelling police authorities to account for his whereabouts and produce records relating to any alleged arrest or detention.
Muteti has since been found alive, but questions surrounding the four days he was missing remain unresolved.
Activists Raise Concern Over Collins Otieno
The civil society representatives also raised concerns over the reported disappearance of another activist, Collins Otieno.
Khalid said Otieno’s whereabouts remained unknown and called for him to be released if he was being held by any authority.
“Collins Otieno is still missing. Up to this point in time, we don’t know his whereabouts. We are asking he be released immediately and if anyone has committed any wrong, due process must take place,” Khalid said.
The groups called for Otieno’s whereabouts to be established and said any allegations against him should be handled through established legal procedures.
