Human rights defenders, Mr Samson Owimba Ojiayo and Mr Godwin Kamau Wangoe were abducted by plainclothes police officers on 15 September 2009 in Nairobi. They were later located by their colleagues in the Nairobi Central Police Station on 16 September 2009.

Following his detention, Godwin Kamau was allegedly ill-treated and denied access to a lawyer. On 16 September 2009, he was brought before a Nairobi magistrate, charged with belonging to an illegal organisation and granted bail at 100, 000 Kenyan schillings (approximately €900). Samson Owimba was released without charge. Samson Owimba and Godwin Kamau are members of Bunge La Mwananchi, a grassroots movement which aims to fight social injustice and promote accountable leadership at all levels in Kenya. Samson Owimba and Godwin Kamau had recently been campaigning to end impunity for serious economic crimes and extrajudicial killings. Front Line previously raised the case of the attack of another Bunge La Mwananchi member on 19 January 2009.

On 15 September 2009, at approximately 7.00 pm, Samson Owimba and Godwin Kamau were returning home from their work at Bunge La Mwananchi in Nairobi when they were abducted by men dressed in plainclothes whom their colleagues recognised as policemen. They were bundled into a motor vehicle (model Toyota G-Touring, registration number KAN 938) and brought to the Nairobi Central Police Station where they were kept overnight. It was reported that between 8.00 pm and 2.00 am, police officers held a gun to Godwin Kamau's head and forced him to telephone friends and family to try to raise 1,000,000 Kenyan schillings (approximately €9,000) as a bribe for his release. Godwin Kamau was unable to raise this sum of money.

Despite their request for legal representation, the men were allegedly refused access to a lawyer until approximately 12.00 pm on 16 September 2009, 17 hours after their detention. Samson Owimba and Godwin Kamau's colleagues could not locate them until midday on 16 September as their arrests were not officially registered in any of the city's police stations and or permitted to contact relatives or friends to alert them of their whereabouts.

On 16 September 2009, at approximately 3.00 pm, Godwin Kamau was charged with membership of an unlawful society. His bond has been posted at 100,000 Kenyan schillings. He will face trial on 23 October 2009. At this hearing, Godwin Kamau registered a complaint of ill-treatment.

On the morning of 16 September 2009, Samson Owimba was released without charge.

Front Line is deeply concerned by the abduction of Samson Owimba Ojiayo and Godwin Kamau Wangoe and believes that this forms part of a pattern of abductions of human rights defenders by plainclothes security forces which is intended to intimidate defenders. Front Line fears for the physical and psychological integrity of Samson Owimba Ojiayo, Godwin Kamau Wangoe and all members of Bunge La Mwananchi.