NAIROBI, Kenya- Passionate debate erupted in the National Assembly on Monday, as Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi revealed the alleged abduction of Gabriel Oguda, a prominent social media activist and policy analyst.
This incident ignited a fierce debate, raising serious concerns about civil liberties in Kenya.
Oguda is among content creators and other professionals like Doctors who have been abducted in the last 70 hours.
Speaker Moses Wetangula directed Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa to urgently liaise with Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome in a bid to ascertain Oguda’s whereabouts within two hours.
“I will direct the Majority Leader to get in touch with the IG and find out about the officer working at the Minority Leader’s office and report back,” Wetangula directed.
Wandayi’s address to the National Assembly detailed the chilling circumstances of Oguda’s disappearance.
According to Wandayi, Oguda was forcibly taken from his home early Tuesday morning.
At 2:20 am, Oguda made a distress call to Wandayi, reporting that police officers were breaking into his compound.
“He called me under great distress, indicating that men he identified as police were forcefully entering his home. Ten minutes later, my phone was jammed, and I was unable to reach him,” Wandayi recounted.
Efforts to locate Oguda in various police stations across Nairobi have proven futile, leaving Wandayi and his colleagues deeply troubled.
Wandayi called for immediate action, demanding Oguda’s release or, at the very least, that he be presented in court to face any charges.
“This cannot be treated as business as usual. If such actions can happen to someone from my office, it threatens the independence of our Parliament,” he asserted.
He criticized the authorities for not informing Oguda of the reasons for his arrest or granting him access to legal representation.
“The government must explain why Oguda’s rights have been blatantly disregarded,” Wandayi demanded.
