Former Nandi Hills Member of Parliament Alfred Keter was forcibly abducted by heavily armed men in plainclothes outside Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Kileleshwa on Sunday, June 30, 2024.
The incident occurred as Keter was leaving the church, driving his black Landcruiser V8.
Video that captured the incident showed three men approaching Keter’s vehicle on the driver’s side, forcibly dragging him out and bundling him into the backseat of a Ford double-cabin pickup.
The armed men, wielding AK-47 rifles, carried out the abduction in broad daylight as other occupants of Keter’s vehicle shouted in distress.
The Ford double-cabin pickup, accompanied by a white Subaru, sped off to an unknown destination.
Both vehicles lacked government-registered number plates, although the Ford was equipped with police sirens.
The dramatic scene was witnessed by numerous onlookers, some of whom recorded the event and shared videos online.
Moments after the incident, Keter, who is a fierce critic of the government, confirmed his abduction via a post on Facebook, stating, “Abducted, headed to unknown destination.”
Wave of abductions
This incident is part of a troubling trend of abductions in recent weeks, coinciding with widespread protests against the controversial Finance Bill.
On June 26, 2024, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua addressed the nation from Mombasa, acknowledging the resurgence of abductions and extrajudicial killings.
He blamed the National Intelligence Service (NIS) for employing these tactics, which the current government had vowed to eliminate.
“I want to say that the president and I gave a promise to Kenyans that the issue of abductions and extrajudicial killings will never happen again. Sadly, this is back,” Gachagua stated.
He criticized the NIS for using the criminal justice system to manage political dissent and expressed concern that MPs who opposed the Finance Bill were being targeted for harassment.
“I want to call upon overzealous heads of security agencies not to be tempted to use the criminal justice system to manage politics. Let us manage politics the conventional way through reaching out, consensus, and concurrence,” Gachagua urged.
“I am informed that Members of Parliament who voted no have already been targeted by the National Intelligence Service for harassment for their political stand. This is a promise the president and I gave to the people of Kenya that never again shall we use the criminal justice system to manage politics,” he added.
The Deputy President’s remarks highlighted the growing tension between the government and security agencies and the alarming use of abductions as a political tool.
As the situation unfolds, there are increasing calls for accountability and the protection of political freedoms in Kenya.
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