CID officer charged with abduction of missing county speaker

Nairobi, Kenya: A CID officer based at Pangani police station, Nairobi has been charged with abduction of Embu County Assembly Speaker Justus Kariuki Mate.

Nicholas Muriuki Kangangi appeared before the Chief Magistrates Court at Milimani charged with abduction with intent to unlawfully confine Justus Kariuki Mate on May 19, 2014.

Prosecution applied that Kangangi be remanded at the Kilimani Police Station for two days as police continue with investigations.

Kangangi was released on a Sh100, 000 cash bail and was ordered that he appear in court on Monday May 26 for further orders.

The case will be heard on July 9, 2014.

Magistrate Peter Ndwiga said that the accused was arrested on May 20, 2014 yet he was not brought to court within the 24-hour framework.

Ndwiga denied the prosecutions application and ordered that the accused appear before the investigation officer at the Kilimani Police station for further investigations.

He was held as the search for Mate continued with detectives handling the case saying they had no clue where he is.

The officer has been grilled alongside Mate’s driver and personal assistant in connection with the disappearance.

An officer aware of the case said the CID officer confirmed he and Mate were to meet at Choma Zone along Thika Road, Nairobi but the speaker did not show up.

“He says they were to meet and discuss sensitive matters but he waited for him from 5pm to 8pm in vain. He decided to leave,” said the officer.

Nairobi head of CID Nicholas Kamwende said they do not have any clue on where Mate is.

“If anyone has information regarding the issue let him help us crack it. For now we have no clue other than what you have heard,” said Kamwende.

A section of Members of the Embu County Assembly want police to investigate how Mate went missing Monday from a hotel they were meeting in the city.

Embu County Deputy Speaker Ibrahim Swaleh said Mate went missing on Monday and they have not been able to trace him.

Swaleh explained that prior to Mate’s disappearance, the Speaker allegedly received a phone call at 4:30pm from Kangangi and thereafter walked from an ongoing workshop.

“He just walked out without his phone, driver or car and that is not normal,” said Swaleh.

Mate is said to have left his mobile phone on the table before walking out.

The County officials were meeting to discuss their budget.

Swaleh asked the members of the county and the public to desist from speculating on the matter and asked for police to hasten their process of finding the missing Speaker.

Swaleh urged the people of Embu and the general public not to see the disappearance as a politically master minded thing.

“We also pray that it has no political motives behind it because it is nothing to joke about seeing as this is someone’s life we are talking about.”