In the wake of the unsettling disappearance and subsequent resurfacing of Juja MP George Koimburi, Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera has come out strongly, stating that the police cannot absolve themselves of responsibility and must be held to account for the circumstances leading to what he termed a clear and deeply troubling abduction.
Speaking during an interview with a local TV station on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, Nabwera challenged the police statement issued after Koimburi’s abduction, insisting that the chain of events calls for much more than just routine public declarations.
He said the authorities must explain why Koimburi’s personal security detail was withdrawn in the days leading up to the incident, and how such an act could occur without clear justification or oversight.
“I wish to say that if indeed the police have credible evidence that Hon. Koimburi orchestrated his own abduction, then he should be formally charged in a court of law,” Nabwera stated.
“What should not happen, and what we must not allow, is for sweeping, careless statements to be made in public without accountability. If you say a Member of Parliament staged his own abduction, then back it up with proper legal action.”
Nabwera was adamant that the police cannot be permitted to simply cast doubt on the victim’s account, especially in light of prior complaints Koimburi had made regarding the withdrawal of his government-assigned security.
According to Nabwera, the pattern of events suggests a disturbing failure—or worse, deliberate negligence on the part of the state.
“Why was his security withdrawn in the first place?” Nabwera posed.
“It is not something to be brushed off lightly. The withdrawal of security, especially from a sitting Member of Parliament, is a calculated action. It falls well within the mandate of law enforcement to ensure the safety of such individuals. The question that remains unanswered is, Why was that safety compromised?”
The Lugari MP went on to reference previous incidents in the country, which, he said, cannot be disconnected from the current case.
Citing the murder of Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were, Nabwera pointed out that it took place in broad daylight on a busy road near a roundabout that is regularly manned by both uniformed and plain-clothed police officers, yet no meaningful response was recorded.
“People are being gunned down with impunity,” he said. “Five bullets were fired in Ong’ondo’s case, and not a single security response was activated. That tells you something very wrong is happening, and that is why we cannot dismiss what has happened to Hon. Koimburi.”
Nabwera also reminded the public of the case involving Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch, claiming that he was forcibly taken in 2023 from a petrol station by masked individuals, and that the operation was, in his view, authorised by the state.
He noted that even the president, in a recent admission, confirmed that several individuals who had mysteriously vanished were quietly returned to their families, affirming that abductions were not mere rumours, but painful, lived realities.
Nabwera then questioned the logic behind the police’s claim that Koimburi may have staged his own abduction, arguing that such a suggestion defies reason, especially given the extent of Koimburi’s injuries — wounds that, by any measure, could not have been self-inflicted.
“If you look at his physical condition—his appearance—it is impossible to believe that anyone would do that to themselves. Are we really saying someone would go to the extent of harming themselves to that degree, inflict visible injuries, and still carry on the pretence of being abducted?”
Nabwera, who spoke with clear bitterness over the entire Koimburi ordeal, further revealed that, according to various accounts, Koimburi was taken from just outside a church, and his wife, who was present at the scene, had sustained injuries while trying to intervene.
He stated that the abduction happened in broad daylight and in full view of the public; therefore, police cannot absolve themselves of blame, as the incident was also documented.
“The public saw what happened. The man was thrown out violently. The wife was screaming. She was also hurt,” Nabwera added, painting a grim picture of what unfolded that day.
“Be that as it may. I support what the Speaker of the National Assembly said yesterday. This matter must be dealt with swiftly and conclusively. The Speaker has already directed the relevant committee of the House to take up the issue and carry out a thorough investigation. That is the path we must follow, so that we can bring this alarming trend to an end,” he concluded.
