Premium
We’re being trailed: Kitengela III claim their lives are in danger
From left (seated, front row): Jamil Longton, Monicah Mwende, Bob Njagi, Dancan Kyalo and Aslam Longton address journalists at the Kenya Human Rights Commission headquarters in Nairobi on February 2, 2025.
What you need to know:
- Mr Njagi, who was abducted along with the two Longton brothers on August 19, says that a vehicle suspected to be used by police officers has been following him for days.
- They suspect that the court case, in which the State is accused of forced disappearances and deaths, may be linked to the surveillance and harassment.
Survivors of abduction and families of abductees who were found dead say they have been surveilled, trailed, and threatened by people they believe are Kenya’s security agents.
On Sunday, three Kitengela men who were freed after spending 32 days in detention — Bob Njagi, Aslam Longton and Jamil Longton — said their movements were being monitored, and in some cases, cars were trailing them.
“Since our release, we have been trailed by individuals we strongly believe are security agents. I noticed a black Subaru Outback with registration number KDP 044J and tinted windows trailing me during my morning run in Kitengela,” Mr Njagi said during a press conference in Nairobi.
“We are being tracked through our mobile phones, our conversations are being recorded. We are not able to leave to our day to day work. Some of us have had to relocate from where we used to stay, not once not twice. Even as we move around, we are very cautious about our security.”
Mr Njagi, who was abducted along with the two Longton brothers on August 19 and held incommunicado for 32 days, says that a vehicle suspected to be used by police officers has been following him for days.
The three said they reported the incident at Kitengele Police Station on January 29 under OB number 44/19/1/2025 and 55/29/1/2025 but the Longton brothers claimed that the police officers at the station assaulted them.
“This incident was reported to the OCS Kitengela Police Station and Kajiado Police Commander but no action has been taken. Still, officers have not taken any meaningful action to ensure our safety.”
They suspect that the court case in which the State is accused of forced disappearances and deaths, and in which the three are witnesses, may be linked to the surveillance and harassment.
Meanwhile, relatives of two Mlolongo brothers whose bodies were recently discovered at Nairobi Funeral Home after going missing for more than 30 days say they have been receiving calls from strangers warning them against pursuing the cases.
From left: Aslam Longton, Bob Njagi and Jamil Longton after they addressed the media at the Kenya Human Rights Commission headquarters in Nairobi on February 2, 2025.
Relatives of Justus Mutumwa and Karani Muema, who disappeared in Mololongo between 16 and 17 December, on Sunday said they were living in fear of pursuing justice for their loved ones.
Mr Duncan Kyalo, the brother of Mutumwa said that since they discovered that their kin was killed, they have been receiving threats from a strange caller.
The caller, he said, has been asking him to avoid any discussion of his brother's disappearance and death, or they will come for him.
“I began receiving numerous threatening calls, warning me to stop pursuing the case. The caller warned me that I would also be forcefully disappeared,” Mr Kyalo said, adding that his life is in danger even after relocating.
He said Mutumwa’s forehead had deep cuts, and his eyes had been pierced. Also, his wrists had cut marks, indicating that he was tortured before being killed.
Ms Monicah Mwende, whose brother Kalani Muema went missing on December 17, 2024, called for the release and safe return of her brother.
Following this development, five lobby groups demanded for an immediate independent and transparent investigation into the cases of all victims and survivors of enforced disappearances.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission, Defenders Coalition, Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI), Social Justice Center Working Group and Mathare Social Justice Centre said the ongoing killings and human rights abuses were worrying.
“The state must be compelled to account for every missing person and bring those responsible for their abductions and killings to justice. We will not settle for silence. Cover-ups or manipulated reports that absolve the guilty,” lobby groups said in their joint statement.
They also blamed the administration of President William Ruto for allegedly turning security forces into death squads, hunting down people who dare to speak truth to power.