Machachari actress Mama Baha pleads for help to bring abducted brother home

In an emotional video shared on her social channels, Mburu, who has in the past written a letter to former President Uhuru Kenyatta, urged Kenyans to use their voices and platforms to call for action from the government and the wider public.

Mburu’s brother, George, and cousin Masha were abducted in Mogadishu, Somalia, in January 2014.

The brother, according to the narration, informed her that his abductors had kidnapped him over the move by the Kenyan government to send troops to Somalia in an attempt to restore peace.

The suspected Al Shabaab militants told him that he was a prisoner of war and demanded that he reaches out to his family and inform them to ask the State to withdraw soldiers.

For years, the family received limited information about their fate. However, in March 2014, her brother managed to call and explain what had happened.

“He told us what had gone on because before then we just relied on sources,” Mburu explained.

Despite the initial communication, the family has since endured a long silence, filled with anxiety and uncertainty.

But on October 7, 2024, Wanjiku Mburu’s brother called again - after 10 long years. 

Mburu shared that she initially hesitated to answer a call from a Somali number but eventually picked it up.

“Nothing can prepare you for this,” she said, recalling how her father broke the news to her.

"For a moment I lost it. My father called and said, ‘Shiko, where are you?’ This was a voice I had never heard him use with me before. I asked, ‘Daddy, what’s wrong?’ He said, ‘Your brother wants to speak to you.’" revealed Mburu.

On the other end, she heard a voice she hadn’t heard in a decade. Her brother said, “Shee, ni Kajijo,” referring to his nickname.

During the brief conversation, her brother expressed the harsh conditions he has been enduring in captivity. “He told me, ‘I know nothing but four walls, handcuffs on my hands, and chains on my feet.’”

Wanjiku Mburu’s brother pleaded with her to ensure that their situation was not forgotten. "He is saying, let us talk about him and my cousin consistently. The government needs to know that they are Kenyans," she urged.

Mburu’s brother, who is diabetic, is in deteriorating health. He has asked for the Kenyan government’s intervention to bring him and his cousin home. 

The actress is now calling upon fellow artists and the public to join in the cause.

“Your Excellency, President William Ruto, we have Kenyans in Somalia. He is in a desperate situation,” she said, addressing the president directly.

The actress added that the call from her brother has been tough on her mentally. The revelation that he has over the years been held in a tiny cell not knowing what day or year it is has particularly been hard on her and their family.

Wankiku added that the brother told her that he only knew what year it was after only gaining access to a mobile phone.

She has now reached out to the public, asking for unity in raising awareness. “Let’s unite and bring our brothers back home,” she urged.

Four years ago, Wanjiku Mburu vowed to lead a match to President Uhuru Kenyatta’s office on January 28, 2020 to seek the head of state’s help in bring home his brother who is in captivity in Somalia.

Before the resolve to lead a march, Wanjiku had, in a video that went viral on social media, claimed that the family had been barred from meeting President Kenyatta over the issue, with a promise by State officials that they would solve the matter.