Famous Kenyan actress Wanjiku Mburu makes a tearful plea for her brother George, who’s been held captive for a decade by Somali insurgents.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AX) — Known for her role as Mama Baha in Machachari, Wanjiku Mburu received a staggering call she never thought she’d get. After ten long years, her brother, George Mburu, who was whisked away by Somali militants, finally broke his silence.
Mburu took to TikTok, shedding light on her brother’s fate. George, a civilian engineer snatched in January 2014 while in Mogadishu, was seized by Al Shabaab militants. The captors labeled him a ‘prisoner of war’, in what they said was revenge for Kenya’s military foray into Somalia.
The family had received little word after a fleeting call in 2014. It’s been a grueling wait.
“My phone flashed an unknown Somali number. I hesitate with these kinds of calls,” Mburu revealed. “Yet, something made me pick up. It was George, at long last! He asked, ‘Shii, it’s Kajijo. Have I slipped your mind?’ Never! He’s in my thoughts every single day.”
George painted a grim picture of his existence: a tiny cell, shackled and weakened. His captors, believed to be Al Shabaab, wanted to use him to sway Kenyan public opinion on military matters in Somalia.
Despite earlier appeals made during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s era, headway was limited. Now, Wanjiku urges President William Ruto and her fellow Kenyans to rally for George’s freedom.
Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has noted Mburu’s appeal, announcing collaboration with Somali counterparts to untangle the situation.
In Somalia, abductions of internationals by extremists are a persistent dilemma, with such acts frequently serving as bargaining chips or ransom quests, according to security mavens.
Edited by: Ali Musa
Axadle international–Monitoring
