LSK holds protest march over missing lawyer Abshir Abdi

Speaking outside the Milimani Law Courts on Friday, LSK President Charles Kanjama condemned the incident, warning against what he termed a growing culture of impunity and the targeting of lawyers.

"Enough is enough. No to abduction, no to impunity, no to abduction of lawyers," Kanjama said.

Kanjama led lawyers in a protest march to Jogoo House, where they are expected to present a memorandum to Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, demanding answers over Abdi's whereabouts and his safe return.

Abdi, who practises at Abshir & Njagi Advocates, was allegedly abducted along Muchai Road, off Ngong Road, in the early hours of November 1. CCTV footage showed armed men pursuing him before bundling him into a waiting vehicle. His car was later recovered abandoned along the same road.

His disappearance has raised concerns within the legal fraternity, particularly over allegations that it could be connected to his involvement in a criminal case before the Makadara Law Courts, where he is reportedly a complainant and key witness.

Abdi's brother, Zakaria Abshir, who also addressed the gathering, said the family was desperate for answers, insisting that his brother had not simply gone missing but had been abducted.

"It's been six days. I don't want to say he is missing; he was abducted," he said.

Zakaria questioned the circumstances surrounding the incident, arguing that the people involved in the operation should be identified and held accountable.

"I have lived in this country and I know, no one carries guns anyhow. The people who carry guns are known," he said.

He accused the State of maligning his brother's name instead of establishing his whereabouts, adding that if Abdi had committed any offence, he should be allowed to face trial.

"We have seen serial murderers being tried. Why not allow him to face the law?" he posed.

Zakaria said his parents were distressed by their son's disappearance and questioned whose interests were being protected by the State's security apparatus.

"I have a mother and a father who don't know the whereabouts of their son. If the State can talk of national security, who are they protecting? The security is for us, the people," he said.

He further disclosed that two other people had been with Abdi at the time of the incident, with one reportedly also missing, while the whereabouts of the other remained unclear.

Meanwhile, East Africa Law Society (EALS) President Ramadhan Abubakar condemned the incident, warning that the targeting of lawyers threatened the administration of justice and the rule of law.

He said the legal fraternity was concerned by what he described as a pattern of harassment targeting lawyers and members of the press.

"They are now harassing lawyers. They have harassed members of the press. Tomorrow, they will harass more," Abubakar said.

He added that despite assurances from State agents that they were not holding Abdi, the government had a responsibility to protect citizens, including members of the legal profession.

"A threat to a lawyer is a threat to the rule of law. We stand here to defend the Constitution," he said.

Abubakar called for Abdi's immediate release, insisting that any allegations against him should be addressed through the courts rather than unlawful detention or abduction.

The latest protest comes amid a habeas corpus application filed by Abdi's family at the Milimani High Court, seeking to compel security agencies to account for his whereabouts and produce him before court.