Al-Shabaab has released a video showing a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier who has been held captive for nine years, prompting his family to plead with the government for help in securing his release.
Sergeant Abdullahi Issa Ibrahim was among the soldiers captured during the Al-Shabaab attack on the Kenyan-operated AMISOM army base in El-Adde, Somalia, on January 15, 2016.
His family had believed he was dead for years, but their hopes have been revived after a new video surfaced showing Abdullahi appealing to the government for assistance in bringing him home.
In the footage, the 61-year-old sergeant shares his experiences since his deployment to Somalia as part of the 9KR battalion stationed at Moi Barracks in Eldoret.
He expresses disappointment, saying, “I am a Kenyan soldier.
After the attack, we expected the government would step in to secure our release so we could return home to our families.”
The video, believed to be distributed by Al-Shabaab’s propaganda channels, has deeply affected his family, especially his daughter, Kathra.
She expressed renewed hope but also distress after seeing her father alive nearly a decade since his abduction.
“As a family, we have been overwhelmed with sadness and confusion. For eight years, we lived without hope, feeling like orphans,” Kathra said.
The family, residing in Maline Estate, Eldoret, had already accepted his presumed death after receiving a certificate of death from the KDF in December 2020.
However, their perspective changed when Kathra received an unexpected call from Somalia. The caller, identifying himself as her father, claimed he was still alive.
Initially doubtful, Kathra requested proof, leading to the eventual release of the video after a month.
Now, the family continues to live in anguish, not knowing the full condition of their loved one—both physically and mentally—after nearly a decade in captivity.
“The 10 years of suffering have been enough. We want him home,” Kathra emotionally pleaded.
Al-Shabaab also released footage of another Kenyan soldier from Trans-Nzoia County, who similarly urged the government to intervene and help secure their safe return home.
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