Concern is growing over the whereabouts of former Mabatini Ward MCA aspirant Joel Kariuki Mwai after reports emerged that he was allegedly abducted by unknown men in Nairobi’s Mathare area on Thursday afternoon.
According to human rights organisation VOCAL Africa, the 45-year-old politician was heading home from his shop in Mathare Number 10 at around 1:30pm when he was approached by several men who claimed to be police officers.
The group said the men, who were reportedly dressed in civilian clothes, confronted Mwai before allegedly forcing him into a double-cab pickup and driving away.
Witnesses said that prior to apprehending him, the men introduced themselves as being members of the police force.
People who tried to interfere in the situation were said to be intimidated by the men when they drew their weapons, causing them to step back as the car drove off.
As of Friday afternoon, Mwai’s location was not known, causing concern for his family, friends and supporters who have been looking for him.
Mwai is a known politician in the area since he ran for the position of Mabatini Ward MCA in the 2022 General Election under the Jubilee Party.
The reported incident has drawn concern from human rights defenders, who are demanding answers about his disappearance.
Hussein Khalid, CEO of VOCAL Africa, sounded the alert over the abduction and pleaded that immediate action be taken to ascertain the whereabouts of Mwai.
Willy Mutunga, the former Chief Justice, is another one among the public figures that came out to release details of the incident.
Human rights activists have asked the security departments to clarify if Mwai is in the custody of any state department or not.
There was no statement released by the officials on the reported abduction till the time of publication.
Once again this case has drawn attention to the allegations of abductions and forced disappearance in the country.
