A Kahawa Law Court has officially terminated the abduction case against 15 Special Services Unit (SSU) officers linked to the 2022 disappearance of two Indian nationals and a Kenyan taxi driver, in compliance with a directive from the High Court.
Principal Magistrate Gideon Kiage delivered the ruling, citing Section 87A of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), following a High Court order directing the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to drop the case to pave the way for a murder trial in the High Court.
“The matter before this court is hereby terminated under Section 87A of the CPC,” ruled Magistrate Kiage.
Despite the High Court’s directive, the DPP had initially failed to act on the order, leading to multiple delays in the Kahawa Court proceedings.
The prosecution also objected to the termination, arguing that there was no formal order from the High Court.
However, the Kiambu High Court, in May 2025, ruled that the abduction case be dropped to avoid duplicating charges with the ongoing murder case.
The officers — who include 13 SSU police officers, one National Intelligence Service (NIS) officer, and one Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officer — were jointly charged with 17 counts relating to the alleged abduction and disappearance of Indian nationals Mohamed Zaid Sami Kidwai and Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan, and their Kenyan driver, Nicodemus Mwania Mwange, on the night of July 22–23, 2022.
They had pleaded not guilty to the charges in October 2023 and were later released on bond of Sh3 million or a cash bail of Sh1 million with one contact person.
Their legal defense team is led by prominent lawyers Clinton Mwale and Danstan Omari.
Meanwhile, the murder case against the 15 continues at the High Court, where concerns have been raised over potential interference with witnesses.
The Court of Appeal had earlier dismissed the DPP’s application to cancel their bail, emphasizing the need to uphold the rights of the accused while safeguarding the integrity of the trial.
