Held in a dimly-lit room and kept stark naked for 32 days. This was the horror of Jamil Longton and his younger brother Nadhim Longton, who were abducted and held incommunicado by unknown people suspected to be State security agents.
In an exclusive interview with Radio47 on Thursday, January 15, Jamil Longton said on the fateful day 19th August, 2024, he — together with his brother Nadhim — was going on an errant in Isinya, Kajiado County.
After having lunch with his family in Kitengela, Kajiado County, Jamil says he wasn’t feeling so well, opting to have his brother drive his Nissan Wingroad car.
“Saa nane kamili tukaanza safari. Wakati tumetoka kwa gate, kuna mama mmoja alikuwa anaongea kwa simu kwa mda mrefu sana. Alikuwa ameingia katika compound yetu na akafanya survey lakini hatukujua nia yake ni gani. Kumbe alikuwa anatuchunguza kabla ya sisi kutekwa nyara.
The torture
Jamil and Nadhim were abducted just outside their home at the height of anti-government protests organised by young Kenyans. They were then driven around while blindfolded and ended up in a dark room covered in black-painted boards. He says there were no windows, just a CCTV camera “watching us.”
“Ukifika hapo sheria ya kwanza ni kutoa nguo zote, unabaki uchi wa mnyama, hata underwear unatoa. Nguo zinachukuliwa na kuwekwa sehemu nyingine. Tulikaa uchi siku 32, na pia malazi hakuna,” Jamil recounts. “Unalala kwenye sakafu. Katika ile sakafu kuna chuma imekuwa mounted pale, so lazima ufungwe mkono mmoja au mguu mmoja kwa pingu ili usiweze kutoroka. Mimi nilikuwa nafungwa mkono mmoja wa kushoto, kuna wengine walikuwa wanasema wafungwe miguu.”
In captivity, Jamil says that individuals wearing masks and holding pistols would beat them while demanding to know where we got funds to organise the protests.
“Sasa nilichagua mkono wa kushoto ili wa kulia ubaki wa kukula na mambo mengine. Katika hizo siku 32 hakuna kutembea, hakuna kusonga kwa sababu distance ya ile chuma na pingu zako ni karibu sana. Kwa hivyo utaketi, ukichoka kuketi utalala.”
According to Jamil, they were given one small meal a day, typically ugali and cabbage, which was not sustainable for their health.
“We were given just 300 ml of water a day. We used it for drinking, washing, and cleaning. It felt like they wanted to break us.”
Jamil Longton and his brother Aslam were on September 20, 2024 dumped at Gachie border of Kiambu and Nairobi by their captors. Months after their release, the brothers still struggle with the aftermath.
During the interview, Jamil denied his involvement in the anti-government protests in Kitengela.
“Sijakuwa Kitengela kwa mda, nimekuwa na shughuli za kikazi nje ya Kitengela. Hata maandamano yakiendelea, sikukuwa Kitengela. Nilirejea Kitengela 7th August 2024. Na niliporejea niliweza kuitwa katika mkutano wa security iliyokuwa inahudhuriwa na county commissioner wa Kajiado, na county criminal investigating officer wa Kajiado, maofisa wa NIS pia walikuwa mkutanoni. OCPD na OCS pamoja na gavana walikuwa mkutanoni pia.”
It is at this meeting — held at D.O Grounds in Kitengela — that Jamil says he was threatened not to take part in the protests by the area Administration Police (AP) Commandant, the CCIO and the county commissioner. “Walidhani mimi nilihusika katika maandamano. Lakini mkuu wa CID aliwaelezea mimi sikukuwa wakati wa maandamano.”
