Gabriel Oguda, a Policy Analyst in the Office of the Leader of Minority in the National Assembly, has reportedly been abducted ahead of nationwide protests against the Finance Bill 2024 scheduled for today.
According to National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi, Oguda was abducted by people he believed were police officers at around 2:20 am Tuesday, June 25.
“On the eve of today’s sitting, specifically this morning at 2:20 am, I was called by the policy analyst in my office one Gabriel Owiti Oguda. Mr Gabriel Oguda called me under distress that there were cops at his gate, breaking into his compound,” Wandayi said in an appeal for his release on the floor of the House.
The Ugunja MP says he immediately mobilised lawyers who would attend to the situation. However, he alleges that around 10 minutes after Oguda called him, his phone was jammed.
“I was unable to call nor receive phone calls until 6;30 am this morning. In the ensuing period, these persons actually broke into the compound of Mr Oguda’s compound, went further to break his door and abducted him. Up to now we do not know the whereabouts of Mr Oguda, who is an officer in the office of the leader of minority party. Happening on the eve of this very special day Mr Speaker, we don’t take it lightly.”
Wandayi told the House that they have looked in all police station within Nairobi and its environs but Oguda is nowhere to be seen.
“Article 29 of the Constitution protects the rights of freedom of every Kenyan citizen. Even the rights of arrested persons are protected in Article 49 of the Constitution. As a matter of fact, nobody is supposed to be arrested before being informed why he is being arrested. The Constitution goes further to provide the rights of detained persons. If you are arrested and detained, you have a right to access the services of advocates and lawyers. Up to now, the lawyers have been unable to access Mr Oguda.”
According to Wandayi, this case should not be taken lightly as it is an indirect attack to the independence of Parliament as an institution.
“It is the same manner people can abduct officers assigned to the office of the Speaker. That would be an affront to the independence of the institution of Parliament. Some of us have walked this journey. A trend is now emerging of abductions in this country,” he added.
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah agreed with Wandayi that the action should not be tolerated, if at all Oguda was abducted by the police.
“None of us in this house would tolerate that kind of conduct the Minority Leader has narrated. But I could commit to first check with the Inspector General to find out if the police are holding the said officer(s),” Ichung’wah pledged.
