The Chief Executive Officer of the National Police Service Commission (NPSC), Peter Leley, has categorically denied any involvement in the abduction of Nandi politician Shadrack Maritim, as a court hearing took a dramatic turn this week.
Maritim, an aspiring Member of Parliament for Tinderet Constituency, was allegedly abducted on October 27, 2025, after leaving his Eldoret home for a morning jog. He was later discovered abandoned in Mbale, Uganda. His disappearance and subsequent recovery triggered a nationwide outcry and a habeas corpus petition filed by his family against several state agencies, including an accusation of involvement by the NPSC boss.
The case, Joel Kipkemboi & 2 others v. The National Police Service & 7 others, is being heard at the Eldoret High Court by Justice R. Nyakundi. Proceedings intensified when Maritim failed to appear in court on Thursday, either physically or via a virtual link as scheduled.
Leley’s legal team, led by lawyer Diro, argued the absence was a deliberate ploy. Diro accused Maritim of “treating the court to a mickey-mouse game” by skipping an easy virtual appearance, suggesting it was a bid to “drum up political sympathy.”
Counsel for the petitioners, renowned lawyer Kibe Mungai, countered that Maritim was undergoing medical treatment in Eldoret and could not travel to Nairobi for debriefing. Mungai informed the court his client had recorded a statement with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Eldoret and would swear an affidavit in Nairobi next Monday.
In a significant development, the court is actively considering orders for three independent medical examinations of Maritim and a forensic scene-of-crime probe. This move, legal observers note, signals the court’s intent to cut through alleged theatrics and demand concrete, forensic-backed evidence.
“The court is tightening the noose on these ‘self-abduction’ claims,” a legal insider familiar with the proceedings stated. “The push for multiple medical reports and forensic checks has visibly unsettled the petitioner’s side, shifting the focus squarely to verifiable facts.”
CEO Peter Leley, through his representatives, has vehemently maintained his innocence, insisting he played no role in the incident and welcoming a rigorous investigation to clear his name.
With the court poised to mandate key forensic and medical inquiries, the case promises a pivotal unraveling of the mystery behind Shadrack Maritim’s disappearance, under the watchful eyes of a nation deeply concerned over allegations of political abductions.
