Mombasa man resurfaces after five months in 'captivity'

Amani Mohammed Mwafujo, who went missing after he was cleared of terrorism charges by a Kwale court, has resurfaced after five months.

Mr Mwafujo was seized from a matatu after his release from Mombasa’s Shimo la Tewa Maximum Security Prison.

His family said he resurfaced on Saturday at around 7am in Mariakani, Mombasa County.

The family declined to disclose more details about his abduction and release, claiming they were warned by the abductors not to speak to the media.

Human rights lobby group Muhuri, which followed Mr Mwafujo's case closely, confirmed his return.

“We can confirm he is back. We have since met with Mr Mwafujo and his family and they have requested their privacy as he undergoes counselling,” said Muhuri rapid response officer Francis Auma.

“He was held inside a house and he had no idea where he was during his five-month disappearance but says all he could hear were sounds of airplanes,” Mr Auma added.

Mr Mwafujo was arrested on October 26, 2016 in Kwale County’s Tawheed Secondary School, where he taught Kiswahili and history.

He was arraigned at the Kwale Chief Magistrate’s Court with 10 terrorism charges. They included possession of articles and information intended to be used to commit a terrorist act and being a member of the Al-Shabaab militant group.

But by the end of the case in March 2019, only two witnesses had testified, with prosecutors requesting a warrant of arrest against the investigating officer for failing to respond to a court summons.

On March 17 this year, he was acquitted after the court found him not guilty on all the charges.

“We had no idea that the celebration would be short-lived. We have been following up on his release from last week,” his sister Ramla Mohammed said at the time. 

“My niece was to pick him up on the same day the court ordered his release. But she was told to come on Friday, which was pushed to Monday.

She added: “As we were waiting to board a matatu to town outside the prison, a stranger came and greeted my brother. But he said he had no idea who the person was. 

“We boarded the matatu but after a short distance at Shanzu Teachers Training College, a Toyota Probox and a Land Cruiser blocked the matatu.”

Six men ordered Ms Mohammed out of the PSV before grabbing Mr Mwafujo and forcing him into one of the two vehicles, which sped off.

But he has now resurfaced and has been reunited with his family.

In a different case, Taimur Kariuki Hussein, who went missing after being arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit near Lamualso on June 11, 2021 also resurfaced in November.

Mr Hussein had just appeared in a Kahawa, Nairobi, court before he was released in the absence of his family.

He had been arraigned in a Lamu court on June 14, three days after his arrest. He was charged with terror-related offences and resisting arrest. 

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