Dual citizenship claim raises questions on abducted businessman

Questions abound over the true identity of a 51-year-old businessman whose alleged abduction from Nairobi and subsequent deportation to South Sudan has taken a new twist, with revelations that he holds both Kenyan and South Sudanese nationality.

The mysterious case of Athorbey Al-Gaddhaffy-Dit has left human rights groups and security agencies scratching their heads after it emerged that the man at the centre of the storm may not be the Kenyan citizen he claims to be, according to documents seen by this publication.

Amnesty International Kenya raised the alarm last week over what it termed the grave abduction of the man, who was reportedly seized from his Nairobi residence and transported to Juba where he is being held at a military detention facility.

"We have received credible information that Athorbey Al-Gaddhaffy-Dit (Gaddafi Athorbey), abducted in Nairobi on 10 June 2026, was unlawfully deported to South Sudan and is currently being held at a military detention facility in Juba," Amnesty said in a statement.

The organisation further expressed concern over the reported abduction of the man, who it described as a Kenyan citizen, raising serious questions about the circumstances surrounding his removal from the country.

Activist Boniface Mwangi weighed in on the matter, claiming on his X account that Gaddhaffy had been targeted over whistleblowing activities.

"I met Gaddhaffy-Dit in April. He had information on high-level corruption in South Sudan and shared it with journalists and diplomats because he was afraid. The looters of S. Sudan had placed a $5 million bounty on his head. Kenya sold him out for cash," Mwangi alleged.

This is not the first time the businessman has run afoul of authorities in Juba. He was previously arrested in 2012 but released in 2013 when South Sudan descended into a devastating civil war that claimed thousands of lives.

The case has now taken a more intriguing turn with the emergence of documents showing that the man claiming Kenyan citizenship may have obtained his national identification card through questionable means, raising serious legal questions about his true status.

According to the Kenyan ID card issued at Kariakor, Al-Gaddhaffy-Dit Athorbey of ID Number 29832476 was born in Nyando on July 16, 1974. The ID is valid until September 10, 2035.

However, records at the National Registration Bureau (NRB) paint a different picture. A search shows that a man identifying himself as Athorbey Al-Gaddaffy-Dit applied for the ID on October 9, 2025, and the same was issued at Kariakor on November 11, 2025.

Contrary to what is stated on the physical ID, application details indicate that he was born in Turkana West district, Lokichogio division, Lomideck location, with his tribe listed as Turkana from the Moru clan.

His family name is recorded as Athorbey Lochilia, with his father's name shown as Al Gaddhaffy-Dit and mother's as Patricia Awino Okollo. His occupation is curiously listed as "student."

Further investigations at the Department of Immigration reveal that he does not possess a Kenyan passport. In South Sudan, however, Athorbey operates under different identities.

His South Sudanese diplomatic passport No. O00002630, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, identifies him as Chuit Sholl-Athorbey D'Guet, with his occupation listed as a government official. Notably, the date of birth matches the one on his Kenyan ID.

It is this South Sudanese passport that he has regularly used while travelling, predominantly from Nairobi to Juba via Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

Travel records seen by this publication show that Chuit last departed JKIA via Kenya Airways on February 17, 2025, at 06:12 hours. Before that, he had exited the same airport on October 18, 2024, at 22:05 hours.

Between January 2024 and February 2025, he made 14 departures and returns to the country, indicating he was a frequent flyer between the two capitals.

A search at the Business Registration Services (BRS) using his Kenyan ID number and KRA PIN A018145055Z reveals that he registered a company, Afriathro Group Limited, on February 25, 2026, where he is listed as the sole director and shareholder with a nominal share capital of Sh100,000.

A second company linked to him is Transcorps International Ltd, registered on November 8, 2011. The listed directors are Sudanese nationals John Wuoi Wuoi with 30 ordinary shares, Deng Adhar Turalei Yai with 40 shares, and a Kenyan, Damascus Gaddhaffi Okollo, with 40 shares.