‘Mama Baha’ seeks State help to find brother abducted in Mogadishu in 2014
Wanjiku Mburu aka Mama Baha.
Wanjiku Mburu, aka Mama Baha from TV show Machachari, has made a public appeal for government intervention to help find her brother, George Mburu, who has been missing for over a decade.
In an emotional video shared on her TikTok account, the actress reveals that her brother was abducted in 2014 while working in Mogadishu alongside his cousin, Macharia, alias Masha.
For the first time in nearly 10 years, George recently contacted the family, giving them a glimmer of hope but also raising new concerns about his health and safety.
Wanjiku, who had previously written to former President Uhuru Kenyatta for assistance, once again called on Kenyans to urge the government to take immediate action.
She shared that George, who was working as an engineer in Somalia, has been held in captivity since his abduction and had only been able to contact his family once in 2014, a few months after his disappearance.
After years of silence, Wanjiku told the Nation that she received a distressing call from her brother on October 9, 2024.
"Definitely, I was confused," Wanjiku recounted.
"But I listened, and I was content that it was my brother. And I was very broken. He told me, ‘Now, sambaza (spread the word), I need to come home. I am in a desperate situation’."
According to Wanjiku, George revealed that he has been living in a cell, shackled and under constant confinement.
She says the brother said his health has deteriorated, and as a diabetic, he urgently needs medical care.
He expressed that there was no proper medical attention available to him, and his blood sugar levels were dangerously low.
In the phone interview, Wanjiku also revealed that her brother also said that their cousin, Masha, had been separated from him shortly after their abduction, and his whereabouts remain unknown.
Despite the heart-wrenching situation, Wanjiku said she is hopeful.
"We have never given up on him, and we never will,” she said. “Even before our mother passed away, she told us never to lose hope.”
Wanjiku’s plea is not just a personal one; she highlighted that many other Kenyans have gone through similar experiences.
"I have been reading comments on my post from people saying they have had family members abducted in similar ways, some since 2016. Many families are suffering, and it’s time for the government to take action."
Suffering in silence
She also expressed frustration that despite paying taxes, families like hers have been left to suffer in silence.
"My brother is asking: is this the tax we pay to send soldiers out there? The same tax should be used to bring him and others like him back home."
Wanjiku said her brother, George Mburu, now in his late forties, left behind a wife and three children when he was abducted.
His youngest child was just a month old at the time, and he is now 10 years old.
In her final words, Wanjiku appealed to all Kenyans and the government to step up efforts to bring her brother and cousin home.
"We are Kenyans, and we deserve to have our loved ones back. I am pleading with the government, please, help us. We have proof of life. Now is the time to act."
To keep her brother's memory, Wanjiku created a film titled 'Mipaka', sharing George’s story.
She also got tattoos in his tribute, including three crosses, his nickname "Jijo," a heartbeat, and the words "faith, hope, and love" inked on her wrist, the back of her neck, and her left shoulder.
