Ethiopia Demands Kenya to Explain Whereabouts of Abducted Businessman Samson Teklemichael

The Ethiopian government has asked Kenya to explain the whereabouts of Tigrayan businessman Samson Teklemichael, who was abducted in Nairobi in November last year. 

Samson was driving his Bentley car in Kileleshwa on November 19th when he was picked up by people believed to be police officers in broad daylight.

An amateur video taken by a passerby showed a man wearing a traffic police uniform stopping Samson’s car before he is removed by other men in civilian clothes and dragged into a Subaru car. Samson can be heard in the clip pleading with witnesses at the scene to record his capture.

Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on Wednesday, Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Kenya Meles Alem lamented that nothing has been done three months after the shocking incident.

“The tragedy that happened on November 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,” he said.

“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.”

Alem wants Kenyan authorities to expedite investigations into the kidnapping and find the whereabouts of the Ethiopian businessman.

“On our side, we won’t relent until the whereabouts of our national and citizen Samson is known. The investigations have taken longer period. Three months is not short,” he added.

Samson’s wife Milen Mezgebo said the abductors left his car at the scene and was informed by a friend that her husband’s car had been parked in the middle of the road. She took the car and reported the matter to the Kilimani police station.

“He called me and told me he had been abducted by persons he doesn’t know and the phone was disconnected and it has been off since then,” Mezgebo said in November.

She insisted that her husband is a reputable businessman, who exports gas cylinders to Ethiopia.