As many Kenyans enjoy Christmas and New Year holidays, three Kenyans, including two civil engineers, are still being held captive by Somali gunmen since 2014.
George Macharia Mburu and George Macharia Njoki were kidnapped on or about January 12, 2014 in Hodan District near Trabuun Stadium.
Married cousins
The Kenyans held captive were working for a construction company known as East African Construction Company at a Petrol Station in Mogadishu.
Unknown militia from Habargidir (Ayr) abducted them, claiming ransom of one million US dollars from their families. The group believed to be behind the hostage-taking is under control of Mohammed Gafanje. The last known position of the hostages is Harardhere District in the Galgaduud region.
The hostages are cousins married with children aged between 11 and 5 years. The elder cousin, George Macharia Mburu, 41, has three children while George Macharia Njoki, 37, has two.
The last communication with their families was on 12th January 2014 and they were expected to return home the following day on 15th January 2014.
“Fear for their safety persists especially because they are deprived of contact with their families,” says Mr Andrew Mwangura, an official of Kenya Seafearers.
“Not to mention the trauma they must have undergone when their ships were attacked with automatic weapons, prior to the kidnap and demand for ransom.”
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Lois Njoki Weru was captured along with her partner, James Kuria, in November 2014, while delivering medicine in Somalia. Mr Kuria was freed during an operation by Somali security forces last February, according to Mwangura.
Many people have been held captive for several months, often in the most appalling conditions, by armed criminals who can be violent and unpredictable.
Mwangura said they had submitted details of the three Kenyans to relevant authorities but the government is yet to contact the families.
