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Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi’s son Leslie was abducted by officers from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and was only released after President William Ruto called the Director General Noordin Haji and asked him to release him.

Muturi in a detailed unprecedented explosive statement to the police narrated how he tried getting help from senior government officials including Noordin, former Interior CS Kithure Kindiki, PS Raymond Omollo, the former Inspector General Japhet Koome, DCI Mohammed Amin and the Anti-Terror commandant, Said Kiprotich, in vain.

“A friend from NIS called, informing me my son was being held by their people. I shared this information with my friends, and it was agreed that I should call Noordin Haji again. Despite multiple attempts, he did not answer,” he stated.

Expressed shock

He then called Kindiki who expressed shock and assured him that he would contact Haji. Kindiki called him later and informed him that he had spoken with Haji, who denied holding Leslie.

“Despite my insistence that I had confirmed information from an NIS officer, Kindiki maintained that the DG could not be lying,” Muturi said.

Frustrated, he decided to send a WhatsApp message to the President, informing him about his son’s abduction. He later realised that the president had not read his message.

Shortly afterward, he saw the Presidential helicopters heading towards State House and he decided to drive to State House to see Ruto in person.

He informed the President about the abduction and his interactions with various senior government officials who had been unable to help.

“I expressed my belief that NIS was holding my son. The President joked, asking why anyone would want to arrest a young person over the GenZ demonstrations,” Muturi wrote.

He then requested the President to call Haji directly.

“I heard the President ask Noordin Haji if he was holding my son, Noordin confirmed that indeed he was holding my son and the President instructed him to release Leslie immediately. Noordin responded that Leslie would be released within an hour,” he wrote.

Muturi then thanked the President and drove out of State House and rejoined his friends in Gigiri and explained what had happened.
“Slightly over an hour later, Leslie called me to say he had been released and was at home. I then went home to see him,” he added.

In his statement, Muturi narrated his ordeal saying he did not get any assistance from senior government officials.

Muturi said after being informed of the abduction, he called Koome, explained the situation, and the former police boss promised to circulate the information among various police stations and call him back.

Shortly afterwards, Mark Mwenje, Embakasi West MP, called him from the scene and described what had happened. He was informed that the son was abducted by occupants of a white box Prado, and armed men brandishing AK-47 rifles and wearing hoods had blocked Leslie’s car, opened the driver’s door, and pulled him out while the car engine was still running.

“I then called PS Omollo, and explained the abduction. He assured me that he would take action. I also attempted to reach the Director Criminal Investigations Mohammed Amin, but his phones went unanswered,” he said.

After Haji failed to pick his calls, he called Koome again and Koome informed him that he had alerted all personnel on all routes, suspecting it might have been a robbery. Muturi however told Koome that based on the information provided by Mwenje, the abductors appeared to be security personnel rather than robbers.

Koome seemed unconvinced, stating that there was no planned police operation that night.

He called PS Omollo a second time, and he confirmed that he had contacted several agencies to assist in finding Leslie. PS Omollo was however still inclined to believe it was a carjacking.

They later obtained CCTV footage from Citizen TV showing the events leading to the abduction.

Around 3am, he sent the WhatsApp message to President Ruto before he contacted the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) director, Said Kiprotich, also in vain.

Since he could not reach DCI Amin, he called Amin’s deputy, James Onyango who also said he was unaware of any police operation that night.

At around 8.15am the following day, Onyango called and informed him that they had checked everywhere, but there was no reported case of that nature.

“He promised to intensify their search efforts. Shortly afterward, Said Kiprotich Mohammed called back. After I explained the situation, he assured me that there was no ongoing operation and that ATPU was not involved,” Muturi said.

Leslie Muturi was abducted on June 22 last year at around 9pm just after he had passed the roundabout on Denis Pritt Road and turned onto Olengruone Avenue.

He had been with Embakasi West MP Mark Mwenje and Marangu Imanyara at Alfajiri having drinks before they decided to go to a birthday party in Lavington.

It was during this process that Leslie was waylaid and kidnapped.

Focus had earlier shifted to the NIS after the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and DCI Amin on various occasions admitted that abductions are happening but denied being involved.

Law enforcement

Considering the main functions of the NIS and the recent developments, the service has been right in the eye of the storm as far as the abductions are concerned.

Some of the functions of the NIS include supporting and aiding law enforcement agencies in detecting and preventing serious crimes, collecting intelligence to be shared with relevant state agencies, and identifying threats or potential threats to national security.

On May 23 last year, Haji, while being vetted for the position of DG, admitted that at least one NIS officer had been involved in a case of extrajudicial killing.

He further told the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations chaired by Belgut MP Nelson Koech that to make the service more accountable and professional, he would operationalise ISCB.

“What I want to assure the committee is that I will ensure that NIS observes the Constitution and the rule of law,” he said.

The NIS Act (2012) requires the officers to observe and uphold the Bill of Rights and the values and principles of good governance.

The Act however does not allow them to carry out police functions, undertake paramilitary activities, or commit an act of violence against a person.