Police probe abduction claims by son of missing ICC witness

Mr Kipng’etich, an ICC prosecution witness, was to testify against Deputy President William Ruto and radio journalist Joshua Sang, but reportedly withdrew from the case before disappearing six years ago.

His family said he went missing in March 2014, after which the ICC dropped the case against Dr Ruto and Mr Sang.

Now his son is claiming that his life is in danger after he was abducted by unknown people on Saturday and dumped in a conservancy in Nakuru County.

The man claimed his kidnappers duped him to deliver drinking water to their car on Saturday evening before grabbing him and speeding away with him.

But the Nation has established that Mr Kiprop did not report the alleged abduction to police.

Gilgil Sub County Police Commander John Onditi, in an interview with the Nation yesterday December 22, said Mr Kiprop only reported that he had lost some personal documents.

"We were shocked by a report in sections of the media that the man had been abducted. He did not lodge an official complaint with the police about an abduction. He did not indicate that it was an abduction case, but just asked for an abstract to help him get his documents back," said Mr Onditi.

"Also, he did not furnish as with his mobile phone number and other details," added the police boss.

Police have now asked Mr Kiprop to make a formal complaint with the police for further action.

"His narration of the event will greatly assist us with investigations," Mr Onditi said.

"Investigations into the incident have been launched and we want the public to avoid any speculations about the alleged abduction until the probe is complete," said a senior detective who sought anonymity.

Efforts to trace Mr Kiprop yesterday were futile as his phone remained off throughout the day.

In Mr Kiprop's narration in The Standard on Monday, he claimed that he had been abducted by three men at 10pm on Saturday. They demanded to know what he knows about the whereabouts of his father and about his disappearance.

The men had lured him from a shop where he works on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway, before they bundled him into a white Toyota Noah, and drove away towards Nairobi, while interrogating him about the ICC case.

He said his abductors, who were armed with a sword, wanted to know if he had ever been in contact with anyone at the ICC.

His abductors later stopped near the Gilgil weighbridge and led him deep into Kigio Wildlife Conservancy, where they left him. That was around 11pm, he said.

He said he spent the night there, before he reported the matter at the Gilgil police station in the morning.

Detectives now want to establish if indeed he was abducted and if so, what exactly transpired.

Mr Kipngetich, who hailed from Uasin Gishu County, disappeared after he withdrew as a witness in the crimes against humanity case against the DP and Mr Sang following the post-election violence after the bungled presidential election in 2007.

The ICC later dropped the case against the two and four others, because of insufficient evidence, even though the judges refused to acquit them.

Mr Kipng’etich was in Malindi, Kilifi County, where he was hiding, when he went missing. He had been chased from his home by villagers who allegedly set his house ablaze.

He is said to have gone to pay his son’s school fees and Sh6,000 for a school trip to Arusha, Tanzania, when he went missing. At the time, Mr Kiprop was a Form Two student at Premier High School in Malindi.

Witnesses said Mr Kipng’etich, who was riding a motorcycle, was flagged down by people who identified themselves as policemen. They were in a Toyota Probox.

His disappearance was reported at a police station in Malindi.

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