GARISSA– Nominated Member of Parliament Umulkheir Harun Mohamed has issued a strong public call for justice and accountability following the forced disappearance of Abdirahman Omar Sheikh, popularly known as “Raheye”, who was abducted on Saturday, May 10, 2025, under alarming and unlawful circumstances.
According to witness reports, Mr. Sheikh was travelling in a private vehicle along the Ukasi-Mwingi highway when he was intercepted by masked, heavily armed men believed to be plainclothes police officers.
The men allegedly dragged him from the vehicle without presenting any identification, legal warrant, or offering any explanation. Since then, his location and condition remain unknown.
“This is not just a disappearance. It is a gross violation of human rights and a deeply disturbing sign of a broken system,” said MP
Nominated MP @missyHaroona condemns the abduction of Abdirahman Omar Sheikh, popularly known as "Raheye", who was kidnapped by unknown heavily armed men along Ukasi- Mwingi highway on Saturday and called for his immediate unconditional release. pic.twitter.com/FpNpTJtWeP
— Frontier Online (@FrontierOnlineK) May 16, 2025
Umulkheir Harun Mohamed in a statement released on her Facebook page said that none should be victimised based on their religion or background.
“No one—regardless of background or belief—should vanish at the hands of those entrusted with our safety.”
The incident has triggered widespread fear and outrage among Mr. Sheikh’s family, friends, and community members.
Many are comparing the event to other instances of enforced disappearances—acts which are crimes under both Kenyan and international law.
MP Umulkheir in her strong worded statement outlined a series of urgent demands:
1. Immediate and unconditional release of Abdirahman Omar Sheikh, if he is being held by state authorities.
2. A full and public statement from the National Police Service, naming the officers involved and justifying their actions.
3. A prompt and independent investigation into the abduction, with full transparency and legal consequences for any wrongdoing.
4. A government guarantee to end these illegal and terror-style operations, which continue to instill fear in communities.
“This cruel and unlawful act has left a trail of pain, fear and unanswered questions,” MP Umulkheir added. “The normalization of such disappearances is unacceptable. Silence from the state only deepens the suffering and suspicion.”
Enforced disappearances are defined under international human rights law as the arrest, detention, or abduction of a person by state agents or their affiliates, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the fate or whereabouts of the person.
Kenya, as a signatory to several international conventions, is legally bound to investigate and prevent such actions.
“We must hold our security agencies accountable,” MP Umulkheir urged.
She added that “Let this case serve as a wake-up call that we, as a nation, will not stand by while our citizens are abducted and silenced.”
The MP concluded her statement with a powerful message: “Silence is complicity. We will not stop until justice is served.”
However, no communication has been forthcoming from the government on the whereabouts of the Raheye as he family continue to demand justice from the government and call for the immediate unconditional of their kin.
President William Ruto in a recent statement said that all the abducted during the Gen- Z uprising have all been released, a statement which elicited strong reactions from different quarters on the culpability of the government in the abductions.
