Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has threatened to paralyse activities within the Judiciary over continued cases of abductions, demanding justice for advocate Abshir Ahmedsadak Abdi following his reported release in Mandera.
Owino said he had joined fellow advocates in protests against Abdi’s disappearance, insisting that his release was not enough until he was safely reunited with his family.
In a statement issued on Thursday, November 12, the legislator demanded guarantees for the lawyer’s safety, saying the circumstances surrounding his disappearance should not be ignored despite reports that he had been released.
“Releasing him in Mandera is not enough. We demand that he be safely reunited with his family, safe and sound,” Owino stated.
The MP condemned what he described as continued violations of fundamental rights and freedoms, calling for an immediate end to abductions across the country.
He further warned that lawyers were prepared to take drastic action within the justice system if the incidents continued, declaring that the legal fraternity would not abandon its pursuit of accountability.
“We are ready to paralyse activities within the Judiciary until these abductions come to an end,” he said.
Owino maintained that every Kenyan was entitled to personal liberty, dignity and due process, regardless of their profession or circumstances.
Abshir, an advocate of the High Court, went missing on November 1 after armed men allegedly intercepted him along Muchai Road, off Ngong Road, in Nairobi.
His family said he was bundled into a vehicle, while his car was later found abandoned. CCTV footage presented in court by his brother reportedly captured the incident.
The disappearance prompted protests by lawyers and calls for security agencies to explain his whereabouts. The Law Society of Kenya pursued legal action, including a habeas corpus application seeking to compel authorities to account for Abshir and produce him in court.
A Nairobi court also summoned security officials from the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit, the National Intelligence Service and the military intelligence directorate to appear for cross-examination on November 13 over allegations linked to threats against the lawyer during the ongoing court proceedings. Daily Nation
Owino said the matter went beyond one advocate, arguing that an attack on a member of the legal profession threatened the wider administration of justice.
“An injury to one advocate is an injury to all,” he said, calling for the rule of law to prevail and for every Kenyan’s constitutional rights to be respected.
https://x.com/HEBabuOwino/status/2120872686914015500?a=8kn3wp_QRzYSG1YGpos&s=19
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