Maurice Ogeta, Raila Odinga’s bodyguard, has recounted his 72-hour alleged abduction ordeal hours after being released.
Ogeta was reported missing on Wednesday morning, the first day of the three-day anti-government protests, and was later released from captivity and abandoned in Ruai, Nairobi county.
According to ODM communications director Philip Etale, Ogeta was released “a few minutes to 1 a.m. and driven while blindfolded and left in the middle of the road in Ruai towards Kangundo.”
He stated that Ogeta’s car was vandalised and that, while he is still distraught and in shock, he is grateful to be alive.
As he recovers from his ordeal, Ogeta reveals that on the fateful day, he received an emergency call from his boss Odinga before being accosted by his kidnappers.
“I was off duty that day and when I received an emergency call from my boss, I decided to rush using my car. I stopped briefly at a car wash in order to clean my car,” he told The Standard.
While at the carwash, Ogeta reported that a vehicle with Sundanese licence plates drove by, followed by an unmarked vehicle that parked at a distance.
“Even though they didn’t get out of their vehicles I could sense they were communicating. I became suspicious but concluded it was just a security patrol ahead of the anti-government demonstrations,” he said.
Still in suspense, Ogeta described how the cars then turned and approached him. One of the passengers in the car rolled down the window to speak to him.
“It is here that one of them informed me that I was under arrest. I first thought it was a joke. I told them that I am also a security officer but this seems to have angered them,” he said.
After being disarmed and cuffed, Ogeta claims he was bundled inside one of the car’s boot.
“At one point, I was removed from the boot and taken inside one of the vehicles but an officer ordered that I be taken back to the boot,” he said.
After about an hour-long drive, Ogeta said that he was locked in a room and moments later persons who identified themselves as Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives visited.
“I was held in a room that didn’t look like a police station. I was in seclusion without food and no one to talk to,” he says.
According to Ogeta the police who at all time had masked themselves questioned him about Railas’ whereabouts, demonstrations plans and route Raila would take during protests.
“They demanded the route plan for almost 20 times and I told them my boss was unwell and I wasn’t sure if he (Raila) will even come out for the demonstrations but they continued pressing me to tell them his whereabouts, which I said I was unaware because I was just heading to the office,” Ogeta narrated.
He was driven to Ruai after recording his statement.
Ogeta is one of the individuals and leaders associated with the opposition chief who were arrested this week in connection with the three-day anti-government protests that ended on Friday.
