The family of businessman Jimmy Mwanzia Mutava is demanding answers from authorities after his disappearance on Monday night under unclear circumstances captured on CCTV in Mlolongo, Machakos County.
According to the family, Mutava had left home after receiving a phone call from a senior police officer attached to Mlolongo Police Station, who reportedly requested to meet him. The businessman is said to have informed his family that he was going to the meeting before heading to an entertainment joint in Mlolongo. He has not been seen or heard from since.
CCTV footage reviewed by the family allegedly shows four men emerging from a double-cab pickup truck before forcibly bundling Mutava into the vehicle. One of the men appeared to be carrying a rifle, while another was seen holding what looked like a pistol. Additional footage reportedly shows the same pickup parked a few metres from the entertainment venue where Mutava is said to have met the police officer shortly before the incident.
The family says the matter was reported immediately at Mlolongo Police Station, but several days later they have received no information regarding his whereabouts. They further claim that no police station has confirmed holding him in custody.
Mutava’s disappearance comes weeks after he reportedly filed a complaint with police on June 10. In the complaint, he alleged that members of his community were being attacked by unknown individuals accompanied by police officers in connection with an ongoing land dispute.
His relatives now fear the earlier complaint and his disappearance could be linked. However, authorities have not presented any evidence to support that claim, and no official statement has been issued confirming whether Mutava was arrested or explaining his whereabouts.
