Ethiopia asks Kenya for help in finding missing Tigrayan kidnapped in Nairobi

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Ethiopia's Ambassador to Kenya said Wednesday that his government has asked Kenya to help find a Tigrayan who was abducted last year in the Kenyan capital.

“The tragedy that happened on Nov. 19, which is now closer to three months, has shocked not only Ethiopians but Kenyans. It took place in broad daylight in Kileleshwa in the presence of the public and traffic police, and we have not seen our national Samson Teklemichael since then,” Meles Alem told Kenya’s Citizen Television. “For the past three months, his family, his children are in distress, and the bigger Ethiopian community is in distress as well. We want our people to be relieved. On our side, we won’t relent until the whereabouts of our national and citizen Samson is known.”

Teklemichael, an Ethiopian businessman of Tigrayan descent, was kidnapped in Nairobi.

Video surfaced online of the abduction in which Teklemichael can be seen being removed from his vehicle while onlookers recorded a scuffle with men believed to be security officers.

The Ethiopian envoy lamented that investigations have taken longer than expected.

“Three months is not short. We are concerned, and this concern of the mission of the embassy is shared among Ethiopians from various walks of life who would like to see Samson back with his family and his community,” he said.

Teklemichael was abducted on a busy Nairobi highway from his Bentley car. He could be heard shouting to onlookers to keep recording.

His wife, Milen Mezgebo, said she received a phone call from her husband but the phone went dead.

Kilimani Police Commander Andrew Muturi confirmed that police are aware of the abduction and detectives from the directorate of criminal investigations from the station have launched investigations.