Missing lawyer, Prof Hassan Nandwa, found in Mwingi

Monday November 8, 2021

Prof Hassan Nandwa, the lawyer who mysteriously went missing more than 10 days ago, was dumped by his captors in Mwingi in the wee hours of Monday morning.

His family confirmed that the lawyer is alive and in good condition but "very shaken and traumatised".

"He is not yet talking to anyone about his plight," his son Elmiqdad Hassan told the Nation.

The Muslim scholar was dumped in Mwingi at 1am. He managed to walk to a relative's home in the area, his family says.

His family arrived in Mwingi early in the morning and so far, relatives say they have not heard anything about his ordeal from him.

The whereabouts of his client, ex-terror convict Elgiva Bwire, still remain unknown.

Bwire was freed from Kamiti Maximum Prison on Thursday October 28, but was abducted along with his cousin on their way to Eastleigh. They haven't been seen since.

Lawyers, through the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), previously pointed an accusing finger at security agents. In court, they argued that the disappearance of the lawyer and the ex-prisoner are closely intertwined.

A judge had last week issued an order that Prof Nandwa and Mr Bwire be produced in court within 24 hours. Justice Anthony Mrima had also ordered Safaricom to produce Prof Nandwa's call logs before court. The data was to enable it trace his movements before he disappeared and shed light as to who was holding them.

The case will be mentioned today (Monday) to confirm compliance and for review of the status.

His family, while happy that he is back home, also says it suspects security agents and expressed fears that enforced disappearances were becoming rampant in the country.

“All this should not have happened in the first place. We have not heard anything about his client. My father is visibly shaken and we suspect he was threatened against speaking about his unlawful detention,” his son said.

Police officers reportedly raided Prof Nandwa's home around the time he disappeared.

His case comes barely six weeks after the disappearance and sudden reappearance of businessman Abdulhakim Salim Sagar and Somali scholar Abdiwahab Sheikh Abdiswamad, who also declined to speak about their experiences with their captors.

Mr Sagar spent nearly one month away while Dr Abdiswamad spent 10 days in detention for “questioning”. The two, just like Professor Nandwa, had no signs of physical assault or torture.

The Supreme Council of Muslims in Kenya boss, Hassan Ole Naado, recently cautioned the government against treating Muslims like terror suspects, noting that they too are concerned with national security just like other Kenyans.

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