National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi announced that Gabriel Oguda, a popular social commentator and political analyst, was allegedly abducted from his home early Tuesday morning. Oguda, who works at the minority leader’s office, was reportedly taken around 2 a.m. by men suspected to be police officers due to his criticism of the Finance Bill 2024, which has sparked nationwide protests. Wandayi stated that Oguda called him at 2:20 a.m. to report the attempted break-in, and ten minutes later, Wandayi’s calls to Oguda were jammed.
A search for Oguda in all police stations in Nairobi was unsuccessful, leaving his fate uncertain. Majority Leader Kimani Ichungw’ah suggested contacting the Inspector General of Police to verify if the captors were police officers, assuring that the government does not condone kidnappings or extrajudicial killings. Oguda, a critic of President Ruto’s government, was reportedly abducted along with other critics, including protester Shadrak Kiprono, whose whereabouts remain unknown after being taken on Saturday night.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) condemned the abductions, describing them as a return to a dark period of rogue policing. LSK President Faith Odhiambo vowed to hold those responsible accountable. Since the anti-Finance Bill protests began, two people have died from police-inflicted injuries. A nationwide strike called #TotalShutdownKE is planned to pressure parliamentarians to reject the bill, which passed its Second Reading last Tuesday and is set to enter the Committee Stage this week.