IG Kanja, DCI Amin Ordered to Produce Abducted Busia Trader Dead or Alive

NPS Inspector General Douglas Kanja

The Busia High Court has ordered Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin to produce a Busia fish trader who has been missing for over a week.

The man, Ibrahim Mohamed, 35, allegedly disappeared after being intercepted by individuals claiming to be DCI officers at a police roadblock.

Mohamed went missing on January 27, minutes after the bus he was travelling in was stopped at the Korinda Police Roadblock along the Busia–Nairobi highway.

Reports indicate he was carrying U.S. dollars worth Ksh17 million when he was asked to alight from the bus by the men who identified themselves as DCI officers.

His family has remained in the dark for seven days, with no official explanation from security agencies regarding his whereabouts or the fate of the money he was transporting.

Justice W. Musyoka of the Busia High Court issued the court order on February 5, 2026, following a certificate of urgency filed by Andrew Okoiti and Mohamed Garad Mohamed.

The court directed the respondents to produce Mohamed before the court—dead or alive—and provide a lawful justification for his arrest, detention, or continued confinement.

"The authorities must, within 24 hours, submit sworn affidavits detailing his arrest and current whereabouts, naming the officers involved, their command structure, and any detention or transfer locations," the court order stated.

The matter is set for hearing on February 9, when all parties will present their cases before the Busia High Court.

Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has urged IG Kanja to compel DCI officers allegedly involved to account for Mohamed’s whereabouts.

"Today, the court issued an order of habeas corpus compelling the IG of Police and the DCI to produce Mohamed, the trader abducted in Busia, dead or alive," Omtatah said.

The senator described the case as a credible instance of enforced disappearance and called on the National Police Service (NPS) and DCI to comply with the court order without delay, emphasising that secret detentions have no place in Kenya.

"The Constitution ensures that no citizen can be placed beyond the reach of the law," he added.

This case follows reports by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) documenting police brutality and enforced disappearances. Since June 2024, there have been 82 reported cases linked to security agents, including the DCI and NPS, with 29 people still missing as of December 27, 2024. Civil society groups have repeatedly highlighted the involvement of security agencies in these incidents.

Meanwhile, Mohamed’s family continues to wait anxiously, unsure whether he is alive or dead, as pressure mounts on authorities to provide answers.