Since the onset of the protests against the Finance Bill 2024, several social media activists have found themselves in a precarious situation, with reports of abductions making rounds online.
On Tuesday, June 25, the day scheduled for nationwide demos against the contentious bill, various influencers were reported missing in the wee hours of the morning, sparking outrage from netizens. READ FULL STORY
The police have denied their involvement in the abductions, and according to the activists Boniface Mwangi and Hanifa Farsafi who turned themselves in to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), they absolved themselves of holding protesters against the Finance Bill.
Here is a list of online activists who have been reportedly abducted:
1. Gabriel Oguda
The X bigwig and political analyst was among activists reportedly taken by unknown individuals in the early hours of Tuesday, June 25.
He sent out a tweet on his platform stating that there were people outside his gate at around 2.50 am.
“Guys. Cops are at my gate,” he wrote.
“I can confirm that my brother has been taken by unknown gunmen from his house 5 minutes ago,” Zachary Oguda, Gabriel’s brother, tweeted at 2:53 am Tuesday.
“Any tweets coming from Gabriel Oguda were already scheduled. HE ISN’T SAFE.”
2. Osama Otero
Osama Otero who goes by the moniker ‘Sir-Rap-A Lot in X was also rounded up around the same time as Oguda,
“Nimekujiwa majamaa. 3AM,” he told his followers.
Osama Otero was behind the famous X Space that went viral hosting 50,000 Kenyans opposing the Finance Bill 2024.
3. Shadrack Kiprono
Activist Shadrack Kiprono popularly known as Shad Khalif has reportedly been missing for over 24 hours since his abduction.
His kidnapping was witnessed in CCTV footage leaked online where he was forcefully taken by unidentified men on the evening of Sunday, June 23.
He was bundled up in a White Prado and accosted by four men who led him away in an unknown direction.
4. Dr Austin Omondi
According to his account on X, the doctor popularly known as Ja Prado was taken incommunicado by authorities while engaged in a blood donation drive at the Sikh Union on Forest Road.
Witnesses reported that Ja Prado was actively participating in a humanitarian effort aimed at aiding injured protestors when he was forcibly abducted.
He was held for over seven hours but was released after his incident sparked outrage online, prompting the KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah to threaten a strike in solidarity with their captured colleague.
5. Billy The Goat
Billy Simani, popularly known as Billy, The Goat’s abduction on Friday, June 21 sparked online outrage, leading to the setting up of Twitter space by activists which ran for close to eight hours, petitioning for his release.
Simani was abducted by men suspected to be police officers and held incommunicado for 24 hours.
He was released after that but seemed traumatised after his ordeal, stating that he would communicate what he went through at a later time.
Other X users suspected to have been abducted include Drey Mwangi, TemperCR7, Harriet, Franje, Worldsmith and Hilla254.
