A Mombasa blogger who made headlines after alleging he was gang-raped by senior officials in the Mombasa County Government now says his life is in danger after being dropped from the Witness Protection Agency (WPA) program.
The 25-year-old, who has spent the past nine months in hiding, says WPA officers recently moved him from Embu County only to hand him over to his father in Mombasa, contrary to earlier assurances that he would be relocated to Kilifi for safety.
“I was shocked when instead of being taken to Kilifi as promised, they simply abandoned me in Mombasa. From that moment, I knew I was no longer safe,” he told reporters.
Since his removal, the blogger claims his family has been receiving threatening phone calls from unknown individuals demanding to know his whereabouts.
He believes the threats are linked to figures intent on pressuring him to abandon his case.
His ordeal began on September 12 2024 when he was allegedly gang-raped by three men said to be close associates of senior county officials.
Five suspects Abdul Hassan, Hajji Babu, Esther Muthoni alias Totoos, Violet Adera alias Vyao, and Ali Mohammed alias Nyanya are set to stand trial on September 25 on charges including gang rape, abduction, conspiracy to commit a felony, and assault causing grievous harm.
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, who recorded a statement with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) after being adversely mentioned, has maintained that he is committed to seeing justice served.
“No one is above the law. I have given my statement, and I urge anyone with information to do the same. The only way this young man will get justice is if we all cooperate,” Nassir told journalists, condemning the attack as “heinous and unacceptable.”
The blogger also alleges he survived a suspected poisoning incident while in protective custody in Embu after suddenly falling ill following a dinner with agency officials.
“Doctors confirmed it was food poisoning. I still don’t know if it was accidental or deliberate, but it left me shaken,” he recounted.
Adding to his fears, he says emissaries have approached his father with offers of money to persuade him to withdraw the case.
“They are desperate to silence me. But I will testify. My only fear is that they might succeed in harming me before then,” he said.
The case has attracted national attention, with human rights groups urging the government to reinstate the blogger into witness protection.
They warn that without security guarantees, his testimony central to the prosecution could be compromised.
