Several social media influencers have gone missing after being abducted during nocturnal operations across the country in response to anti-Finance Bill demonstrations.
Albeit illegal, these abductions was one of several measures being utilized to defuse planned rallies against the proposed levies.
Gabriel Oguda, a popular social media user and political activist, was among those taken. He was one of at least ten people apprehended on Tuesday, June 25, according to close sources.
“I can confirm that my brother has been taken by unknown gunmen from his house 5 minutes ago. Any tweets coming from Gabriel Oguda were already scheduled. He isn’t safe,” Oguda’s brother wrote on X.
Additionally, Kevin Monare, alias Osama Otero, who has been holding popular X Spaces against the Finance Bill 2024, was also apparently kidnapped by unknown individuals.
Other X users suspected of abduction include Drey Mwangi, TemperCR7, Harriet, Shad, Franje, Worldsmith and Hilla254.
Osama Otero and Oguda were both picked from their houses in the wee hours of the morning.
This comes hours after activists Boniface Mwangi, Hanifa Farsafi and Hussien Khalid, presented themselves to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga who had accompanied the three said they had gone to complain about the illegal abduction of anti-Finance Bill 2024 protesters.
“Abductions are unconstitutional. Why should we be afraid of living in our own country?” Mutunga noted.
However, moments later Mutunga confirmed the arrest of the three, disclosing that they had been transferred to Nairobi Area Regional Police Headquarters.
“I can confirm that I have not been arrested. I, and other lawyers are representing Boniface, Khalid, and Adan at the Nairobi Regional Headquarters. Wacheni shuku nuku,” he wrote on X.
