Court ruling and march planned for Tuesday
The High Court at Milimani is due to rule in habeas corpus proceedings brought over Abdi's disappearance. Although some respondents have submitted replies, LSK says it will ask the court for further directions compelling the relevant parties to appear and explain where he is and what happened to him.
Lawyers taking part have been asked to finish their own court business first. Where permitted, those with matters scheduled after midday are encouraged to request adjournments. Following the hearing, participants plan to gather in the Supreme Court parking area and walk along Taifa Road to Jogoo House, seeking a substantive response from the Inspector General of Police.
LSK President Charles Kanjama said the society would continue using legal, institutional and other lawful means to secure Abdi's safe return to his family and colleagues and hold those responsible accountable.
Abduction allegations and two other missing men
Abdi allegedly was seized in the early hours of November 1, 2026, on Muchai Road, off Ngong Road, by armed people traveling in two vehicles. His Toyota Premio was subsequently found abandoned on that road, and his family filed a missing-person report at Kilimani Police Station.
LSK's account describes a Toyota Prado TX and a double-cab pursuing the lawyer. The occupants were reportedly armed, with some said to be wearing what appeared to be police uniforms and bulletproof vests. The society has asked the Independent Policing Oversight Authority to investigate the alleged involvement of people posing as police officers and determine whether serving officers or other state agents took part or helped.
Two men reportedly accompanying Abdi when he was abducted have also been reported missing. One is Ayub Mohamud Maalim, a Mombasa resident whose family reported his disappearance at Kilimani Police Station. His relatives said he was last seen with Abdi and that his phone has been switched off since the beginning of November.
Earlier court orders and the police account
Abdi's brother, Zakaria Abshir, filed the habeas corpus application. On November 4, High Court Judge Alexander Muasya Muteti directed police and other state agencies to bring Abdi before the court, alive or dead, and explain his disappearance. He warned that noncompliance would carry penal consequences.
The order required Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, DCI Director Amin Mohamed Ibrahim and other security officials to produce Abdi at 2:30 p.m. that Wednesday, November 4. They were also directed to bring any warrants permitting his arrest and detention and explain why he should not be freed immediately.
Anti-Terrorism Police Unit officer Nicholas Kimanthi told the Milimani High Court that the unit was not holding Abdi. He said he first heard about the disappearance through social media and news reports on the night of November 3 and had taken no action since learning of it.
The court also heard from the officer about two earlier arrests. He said Abdi had been arrested and detained at the unit on October 9, 2025, while Ahmed Ali Mohamed was arrested on October 24, 2025. Both were released without charges, according to the officer, who described Mohamed as the accused in a criminal case in which Abdi represents a complainant.
Separately, LSK has expressed concern about a possible connection between the disappearance and Criminal Case No. MCCR/E2910/2025, Republic v Ahmed Ali Mohamed, at the Makadara Law Courts. In the society's account, Abdi was reportedly a complainant and key witness in that case.
LSK vows to sustain pressure
Tuesday's planned demonstration follows the Purple Ribbon Protest March on Friday, November 6, when lawyers and members of the public delivered a memorandum to the Office of the Inspector General at Jogoo House. LSK is seeking a substantive National Police Service response to its demands, especially on the investigation and efforts to locate Abdi.
Kanjama said the disappearance concerned the whole profession, not only one lawyer or law firm. "The safety of one Advocate is the safety of the entire legal profession. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us," he said.
Lawyers have warned that attacks and disappearances targeting advocates threaten their independence, access to justice and the rule of law. LSK has urged its members to remain united and participate in the planned activities, rejecting intimidation, abductions and enforced disappearances targeting legal practitioners.
Kanjama said demonstrations and other lawful interventions would continue throughout the week until Abdi returns safely and the relevant authorities take meaningful action.
