The family of Sergeant Abdullahi Issa Ibrahim, a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier reportedly held captive by Al-Shabaab militants for nine years, is urging the government to intervene and secure his release.
Abdullahi was among the soldiers captured during the deadly January 15, 2016, attack on the Kenyan-run AMISOM army base in El-Adde, Somalia.
For years, the sergeant was presumed dead. However, a recently surfaced video has rekindled his family’s hope. In the video, Abdullahi appeals to the Kenyan government for help, detailing his experiences since joining the 9KR battalion based at Moi Barracks in Eldoret.
“I’m a Kenyan soldier. After the attack, we expected the Kenyan government would secure our release so we could reunite with our families,” he says in the video, believed to have been shared by Al-Shabaab’s propaganda wing.
Family’s Plea
The soldier’s family, residing in Maline Estate in Eldoret, expressed renewed hope after seeing the video. His daughter, Kathra, revealed the family had struggled with grief and uncertainty for nearly a decade.
“As a family, we have been depressed and confused. For the last eight years, we lost hope and lived like orphans,” she said.
The family’s despair deepened in December 2020 when they received a presumption of death certificate from KDF. However, a call from Somalia in 2023, purportedly from Abdullahi, raised questions. Skeptical, Kathra requested proof, which led to the release of the video a month later.
“We are asking as a family, the 10 years of torture is enough. We need him back home,” she appealed.
Abdullahi is not the only soldier believed to be in captivity. Another video released by Al-Shabaab shows a Kenyan soldier from Trans-Nzoia County making a similar plea for government intervention.
The emergence of these videos highlights the plight of KDF soldiers still missing or in captivity years after the El-Adde attack.
The family of Sergeant Abdullahi has called on the government to act swiftly, fearing for his physical and mental well-being after nearly a decade of captivity.
