Missing lawyer Abshir Abdi: Muite raises questions over 24-hour court rule

Senior lawyer Paul Muite has urged security agencies to either release lawyer Abshir Ahmedsadak Abdi or charge him in court, as concerns rise over his disappearance. Two men allegedly with Abdi are also missing, according to reports. In a statement on his X account, Muite questioned why Kenyans continued to accept reports of alleged abductions and extrajudicial executions, despite constitutional protections on the right to life and the rule of law.

He emphasized the importance of presenting arrested persons before a court within 24 hours, as required by the Constitution. Muite called for Abdi's immediate release or formal charges against him. Two men, Ayub Mohamud Maalim and another individual, have also gone missing, believed to be in Abdi's company. Maalim's family reported him missing at Kilimani Police Station after failing to locate him.

The disappearance has sparked legal action, with Abdi's family filing a habeas corpus application to compel security agencies to disclose his whereabouts and present him before the court. The High Court issued orders on November 4, requiring senior security officials to account for Abdi and produce him before the court, alive or dead.

The case has drawn attention from the Law Society of Kenya, which led a protest demanding answers and Abdi's safe return.