The family of Malindi businessman Karisa Mae, who was allegedly abducted by security officers at Arabuko along the Kilifi-Malindi road on Monday, is pleading with the government to help them locate him.
Speaking to journalists in Malindi town on Friday, the distressed relatives recounted their exhaustive search for Mr. Mae, which included visits to police stations and mortuaries, but to no avail. They implored the state agency believed to be behind the alleged abduction to either release him or charge him in court if he has committed any offense.
The 41-year-old father of five was reportedly abducted at Arabuko by masked individuals who blocked the matatu he was traveling in with three vehicles. Witnesses stated that the abductors stormed the matatu, handcuffed Mae, and forcibly removed him. Passengers who witnessed the incident informed Mae’s family of the details.
Outside the Malindi law courts, the family expressed their certainty that security officers were responsible for Mae’s abduction. They mentioned previous attempts by these officers to apprehend Mae at his home in Serengeti and other locations, forcing him to live in constant fear.
Mae, along with three others, faces a robbery with violence charge in a Malindi court. This follows a February incident in which a security officer died and two others were seriously injured at Mae’s business premises in Kwa Ndomo area of Malindi Sub County after they were attacked by a mob.
The three officers were reportedly seen inside a private car near Mae’s business premises but failed to properly identify themselves when questioned by Mae. In response, Mae sought assistance from the Malindi police station after allegedly discovering firearms in the officers’ vehicle. Upon returning to the scene with police officers, Mae found that the public had mistaken the officers for gangsters and was attacking them. Police intervened, but one of the officers died the following day.
Mae’s relatives believe that the agency is trying to eliminate him or force him to skip court to cancel his bond, sensing they could lose the criminal case against him. Mae had been released on a Sh1 million bond with one surety of a similar amount and had been diligently attending court.
Malindi lawyer James Mouko expressed his frustration, stating that he would have asked the court to issue a production order but lamented that this was not possible under the circumstances since the abductors remain unidentified.
