High Court Orders IG Kanja, DCI Amin to Produce Abducted Busia Trader Dead or Alive
The High Court in Busia has issued a sweeping order directing Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Mohamed Amin to produce a Busia-base fish trader who has been missing for more than a week, following allegations that he was taken by individuals who identified themselves as DCI officers.
The missing trader, Ibrahim Mohamed, 35, disappeared on January 27 after the bus he was travelling in was stopped at the Korinda Police Roadblock along the busy Busia–Nairobi highway. According to court filings, Mohamed was ordered to alight from the bus by men who claimed to be officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. He has not been seen or heard from since.
Family members told the court that Mohamed was carrying foreign currency valued at approximately KSh17 million at the time of his disappearance. They say security agencies have provided no information regarding his whereabouts or the fate of the money, leaving them in distress and uncertainty.
Justice W. Musyoka issued the habeas corpus order on February 5, 2026, after the matter was filed under a certificate of urgency by petitioners Andrew Okoiti and Mohamed Garad Mohamed. The judge ordered the respondents to present Mohamed before the court, “whether alive or dead,” and to demonstrate lawful cause for his arrest, detention, or continued confinement.
The court further directed that if the trader cannot be physically produced, the Inspector General and the DCI must file sworn affidavits within 24 hours fully accounting for his arrest and current condition. The affidavits must identify the officers involved, their command structure, the locations where Mohamed may have been detained or transferred, and provide a comprehensive explanation of his fate.
The matter is scheduled for inter partes hearing on February 9, when all parties will appear before the Busia High Court for further directions and determination.
The case has drawn national attention, with Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah publicly weighing in and demanding accountability from the country’s top police leadership. In a statement following the court ruling, Omtatah said the order raised serious constitutional questions.
“Today, the court issued an order of habeas corpus compelling the Inspector General of Police and the DCI to produce Mohamed, the trader abducted in Busia, dead or alive,” Omtatah said.
The senator described the incident as bearing the hallmarks of an enforced disappearance and urged the National Police Service and the DCI to comply fully and promptly with the court’s directive.
“Secret detentions have no place in Kenya. The Constitution guarantees that no citizen can be placed beyond the protection and reach of the law,” he added.
The case unfolds against a backdrop of growing concern over alleged enforced disappearances and police misconduct. Recent reports by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) indicate a troubling pattern involving security agencies. According to the commission, at least 82 cases of abductions or enforced disappearances linked to state security agents have been reported since June 2024.
As of December 27, 2024, KNCHR said 29 individuals remained unaccounted for, with civil society organisations repeatedly pointing to the DCI and the National Police Service as being implicated in several of the cases. Authorities have consistently denied wrongdoing, insisting that all operations are conducted within the law.
For Mohamed’s family, the court order offers a glimmer of hope amid a painful wait. Relatives say they are less concerned about the money and more desperate for answers about whether their loved one is alive.
As the February 9 hearing approaches, the case is expected to test the commitment of Kenya’s security agencies to constitutional safeguards, transparency, and the rule of law.
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High Court Orders IG Kanja, DCI Amin to Produce Abducted Busia Trader Dead or Alive
