The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the East Africa Law Society have united in demanding the immediate release of advocate Ahmed Sadak Abdi Abshir, whose whereabouts remain unknown six days after he was allegedly abducted.
Speaking during a solidarity march in Nairobi, LSK President Senior Counsel Charles Kanjama said lawyers would leave no stone unturned until Abshir and his companion were found safe and sound. He condemned the continued abductions and unexplained disappearances of Kenyans, questioning the failure by security agencies to establish the advocate’s whereabouts.
Kanjama said the LSK had spent two days in court seeking Abshir’s production and had filed an application for habeas corpus. However, he said state officers had repeatedly told the court that they did not know where the advocate was.
“We don’t know where he is. We don’t know what investigations have been done. We don’t know. We don’t know. We don’t know,” Kanjama said, criticising the state for offering what he termed as “theater” instead of answers, while portraying Abshir as “the devil incarnate.”
He insisted that even if Abshir faced criminal allegations, he was entitled to due process and should be presented before a court of law.
“Even if he were the devil’s assistant and is in Kenya, he is entitled to due process,” he said.
Kanjama further challenged the authorities over the use of abductions as a means of dealing with suspected criminals, saying those responsible for plundering public resources and causing the deaths of Kenyans should be held accountable rather than advocates.
He vowed that the LSK would continue engaging the relevant authorities until Abshir was reunited with his colleagues and the culture of abductions came to an end.
East Africa Law Society President Ramadana Abubakar said bar leaders from across the region had associated themselves with the LSK’s demand for Abshir’s release.
Abubakar, who represents eight countries in the region, said the family believed the advocate was being held by state operatives, despite government officers telling the court that they did not have him. He claimed that Abshir had faced harassment since October 9, 2025, when he was allegedly arrested, and warned that lawyers were increasingly becoming targets of intimidation.
Abubakar cited the cases of lawyers Tom Oyua, Esther Wairimu and Edward Muthe, whom he said had been lost this year, raising concerns over the safety of members of the legal profession.
“A threat to a lawyer is a threat to the rule of law. It’s a threat to constitutionalism. It’s a threat to our independence as lawyers,” he said.
He called for Abshir’s immediate release, insisting that any allegations against him should be addressed through the courts and in accordance with the Constitution.
“We demand for a rule of law, not for a rule by gun. We demand for the immediate release,” Abubakar said.
LSK Nairobi Branch Chair Eric Kivuva warned that the continued disregard for the rule of law risked pushing the country into anarchy, saying the Society would stand up against actions that undermine constitutional order.
Kivuva criticised what he described as propaganda surrounding Abshir’s disappearance, arguing that the state had focused on damaging the advocate’s reputation instead of providing clear answers about his whereabouts. He said police officers had previously forwarded files concerning Abshir to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, but the files had been returned after prosecutors found insufficient grounds to charge him.
Kivuva challenged the authorities to focus on individuals responsible for plundering public resources and causing deaths among Kenyans, rather than targeting advocates. He also warned that continued frustration among members of the public could lead to people taking the law into their own hands, urging state agencies not to provoke a situation that could descend into anarchy.
The march brought together lawyers, colleagues and members of the public, all calling for Abshir’s safe return and accountability over his disappearance.
