The family of Bethwel Chesir, an aide to Marakwet East MP Bowen Kangogo, on
Tuesday staged a protest in Eldoret over his alleged abduction, as lawyers
moved to the High Court seeking to have him produced.
Lawyer Stephen Ombego filed an application
asking the court to compel the government to produce Chesir, dead or alive.
“My client was abducted by state machinery as he
travelled from Nairobi to see his ailing father, who is admitted at Moi
Teaching and Referral Hospital,” said Ombego.
According to the lawyer, Chesir was taken along
Kaptagat Road on August 7 at around 9:00 pm while heading to the hospital.
He was reportedly travelling with two other people when two cars intercepted
them, blocked their vehicle, and ordered them to lie on the road.
“When Chesir mentioned his name, he was
immediately taken away by about eight armed officers, who fled with him,”
Ombego said.
Chesir’s uncle Richard Kiptoo, his son Felix
Chesir, and his sister Agneta Chemngetich led more than 20 relatives in the
protest 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 the mistake he
made,” Kiptoo said.
The missing aide’s father, 70-year-old Robert
Keino, is admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at MTRH.
Ombego and the family vowed to use all legal
means to secure his release.
Chesir, 52, is married and has several children. Justice Peter Otieno will
preside over the case.
MP Kangogo has asked the government to account
for his aide, linking the incident to the ongoing security operation against
banditry in Kerio Valley.
“He is a well-known person who works in my
office,” Kangogo said. He first raised the matter during a women’s empowerment
event in Sitotwo, Elgeyo Marakwet, attended by Deputy President Rigathi
Gachagua and Interior CS Kithure Kindiki.
Kangogo told the gathering that his aide was
abducted just outside Sitotwo Secondary School, where the event was taking
place.
“We support the operation against criminals in
Kerio Valley, but some innocent people have been caught up in the situation,
and one of them is my employee,” he said.
“Security officers should investigate those involved in banditry, but
innocent people should be spared.”
Kindiki, responding to the remarks, said
security matters should not be politicised but urged police not to target
innocent people.
“We have to firmly deal with the bandits, but
we ask security teams not to harass innocent people in the process,” Kindiki
said, adding that it was not yet clear who abducted Chesir but that police
would investigate.
The government has intensified the security
operation in Kerio Valley to flush out bandits, with Kindiki expressing
confidence that the situation will be brought under control.
“We will not relent until our people in that
region live peacefully,” he said.
