Missing activist Mulinge Muteti found alive after four days

Human rights activist Boniface Mulinge Muteti has been found alive, four days after he disappeared during a protest in Nairobi and amid growing pressure on police to explain his whereabouts.

Muteti was found in the Lukenya area of Machakos at about 3am on Friday, September 25, according to human rights activist and Vocal Africa chief executive Hussein Khalid.

Khalid said Muteti was allegedly left in the area before walking a long distance to a Shell petrol station, where a Good Samaritan helped him contact his brother.

“He was dumped last night around 3am in the Lukenya area. He had to walk a long distance to a petrol station where he got a good Samaritan who helped him with a phone to call his brother,” Khalid said.

Khalid later said Muteti was weak, disoriented and injured.

His brother confirmed that he had been taken to hospital in Mlolongo. Khalid said he was receiving treatment as family members, friends and fellow activists gathered at the facility.

The circumstances surrounding how Muteti ended up in Lukenya, who left him there and what happened to him during the four days he was missing have not been publicly established.

Disappearance triggered court action

Muteti went missing on Monday, September 21, during demonstrations in Nairobi's Central Business District calling for the release of Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye.

According to accounts from fellow activists and court documents, Muteti had left other protesters to print a petition at a cybercafé along Aga Khan Walk.

He later sent a message indicating that he had been arrested. His phone then became unreachable.

His family searched several police stations, including Central, Kamukunji and Pangani, but did not establish his whereabouts.

The disappearance prompted human rights groups and fellow activists to demand his immediate release and report the matter to police.

The case then moved to court.

On Thursday, activist Francis Awino filed an urgent application at the Milimani Law Courts seeking orders compelling Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja and DCI Director Mohammed Amin to account for Muteti's whereabouts.

The application sought records relating to any arrest, detention, transfer, release or processing of Muteti. It also invoked constitutional safeguards concerning personal liberty and the right to habeas corpus.

Importantly, the court application itself did not establish that Muteti had been abducted or detained by police. Police had not publicly confirmed that he was in their custody.

With Muteti now found, the circumstances surrounding his disappearance are likely to come under renewed scrutiny.

Questions remain over what happened

The discovery brings an end to four days of uncertainty for Muteti's family, but it does not answer the central questions raised by his disappearance.

It remains unclear where he was between Monday, when communication with him was lost, and Friday morning when he was reportedly found in Lukenya.

It is also unclear who took him to the area or whether his injuries were sustained before or after he was left there.

The development comes against the backdrop of Muteti's previous involvement in demonstrations.

In August, he was among six activists charged at the Milimani Law Courts over a protest at the National Police Service headquarters. The court released the group on bond.

For now, Muteti is receiving medical attention while his family and fellow activists seek more information about what happened to him.

The finding also leaves a legal question hanging over the court proceedings: whether the authorities will now provide an account of the events surrounding his disappearance and whether any investigation will be opened into how he ended up injured in Lukenya.

About the Author

Maureen Onyango is a journalist passionate about storytelling, life coaching and spiritual lessons. She studied at the Kenya Institute of Management and enjoys telling stories that inform, inspire and empower communities.