Social media commentator Gabriel Oguda has been released, two days after his abduction from his home in Nairobi. Found in Kajiado, Oguda announced his unconditional release and reassured the public of his safety.
“Hello guys, this is Gabriel Oguda. I want to confirm to the whole country that I am now free. They released me unconditionally without charge. I just wanted to allay your fears that you should not be worried about my safety anymore,” Oguda stated in a video posted on social media on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.
Oguda expressed gratitude to those who supported him during his ordeal.
“First of all, I just want to thank everybody who came to the solidarity of this course to ensure that these people release me. It has been two days of tough ordeal and at some point, I didn’t know what was going to happen but now I want to thank everyone for putting on the pressure,” he added.
Oguda was abducted in connection with the ongoing protests against the Finance Bill 2024. He was among at least 10 individuals rounded up ahead of Tuesday’s protests.
National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi recounted Oguda’s call for help.
According to Wandayi, Oguda, who also works as an analyst in his office, called him at 2 a.m. on Tuesday, informing him of police officers breaking into his compound. Shortly after, Oguda’s phone was jammed, preventing further communication until 6:30 a.m. the same morning.
“Oguda called me to inform me that there were people at his gate who were breaking into his compound. I mobilized lawyers to attend to his situation but within no minute my phone calls were jammed and I was unable to call or receive calls until 6.30 a.m. this morning,” Wandayi said while speaking in Parliament.
Wandayi expressed concerns about the unidentified individuals who abducted Oguda.
“We have looked at the police stations in Nairobi, he is nowhere, we don’t know whether he has been killed or he is being held somewhere,” he stated.
The MP condemned the abduction, calling it unfortunate, especially as Oguda was expected to facilitate his office with policy analysis.
