Court petition filed to trace missing Marakwet East MP’s aide

Bethwel Chesir, who is missing/HANDOUT

The family of Bethwel Chesir, an aide to Marakwet East MP Bowen Kangogo, has alleged that state security agencies may be involved in his disappearance and is calling on the government to disclose his whereabouts.

 Lawyer Stephen Ombego has filed a case in the Eldoret High Court seeking to compel the state to produce Chesir dead or alive.

Ombego said Chesir was seized on August 7 along Kaptagat Road at around 9 pm while travelling from Nairobi to see his ailing father, who is admitted to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.

 According to Ombego, Chesir was with two others when two vehicles intercepted them, blocked the road, and ordered them to lie down. Upon identifying himself, Chesir was allegedly taken away by about eight armed men.

 On Tuesday, more than 20 relatives, led by his uncle Richard Kiptoo, son Felix Chesir and sister Agneta Chemngetich, protested outside the High Court in Eldoret.

 “Chesir is innocent and was only going to attend to his sick father. Let them release him or tell us his mistake,” Kiptoo said.

 Chesir’s father, 70-year-old Robert Keino is in ICU at MTRH. Chesir, 52, is married with several children.

 MP Kangogo, who has linked the incident to the ongoing security operation against banditry in Kerio Valley, said Chesir is a well-known figure who works in his office.

 He first raised the issue last Saturday during a women's empowerment event at Sitotwo Secondary School, attended by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen. Kangogo claimed the abduction happened just outside the venue.

 “We support the operation against criminals in Kerio Valley, but innocent people are being caught up in the process. My employee is one of them,” Kangogo said.

 Kindiki, responding to Kangogo, warned against politicising security matters but urged security forces to avoid targeting innocent people.

 “We must deal with bandits, but security teams should not harass innocent people,” Kindiki said, adding that it was still unclear who had abducted Chesir.

 The government has intensified operations in Kerio Valley to rid the region of bandits. Kindiki said he was confident CS Murkomen would handle the matter effectively.

 “We will not relent until our people in that region live peacefully,” he said. 

 Instant analysis

The alleged abduction of Bethwel Chesir underscores the delicate balance between Kenya’s aggressive crackdown on banditry in Kerio Valley and the protection of civil liberties. While security operations aim to dismantle armed criminal networks, accusations of enforced disappearances risk eroding public trust and fuelling resentment in affected communities. MP Kangogo’s public outcry, coupled with the family’s legal action, puts pressure on the government to prove its commitment to due process. Kindiki’s response — urging firmness against bandits but caution against targeting the innocent — highlights the political sensitivity. The case’s resolution will signal how Kenya manages security and human rights in tandem.