A Kenyan parliamentary hopeful who vanished more than a month ago has been found alive in Mbale, Uganda, bringing temporary relief to his family but opening a deeper debate about a growing pattern of unexplained disappearances near the Uganda–Kenya border.
Shadrack Maritim, an aspirant for the Tinderet parliamentary seat, disappeared on October 27 after stepping out of his home in Eldoret for a morning jog. His family immediately suspected he had been abducted, claiming he had earlier received threatening messages linked to National Police Service Commission Chief Executive Officer Peter Leley.
According to the family, Leley had sent Maritim a WhatsApp warning telling him to stop criticizing him or face consequences.
The matter reached the High Court after the family filed a petition seeking clarity from authorities on what they described as an abduction. Before the court could proceed, Maritim reportedly contacted his relatives late Tuesday night, informing them that his captors had dumped him near Mbale, Uganda.
His lawyer, Kibe Mungai, told the court that Maritim sounded terrified during the brief conversation with his brother. He asked the court to continue with the case, arguing that the resurfacing of the politician does not erase the troubling circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
“The petition remains important. His return does not answer the bigger questions,” Mungai said as he was directed to file a detailed affidavit outlining the full situation.
While the State Law Office argued that the petition had been overtaken by events, the family’s legal team insisted that this case fits into a growing trend where missing Kenyans reappear near the Uganda border just before scheduled habeas corpus hearings. They stressed that such coincidences must be thoroughly examined to ensure accountability.
Maritim’s family maintains that he had been living in fear due to threats he allegedly received in 2023, and they want the court to dig deeper to uncover the full truth behind both the threats and his disappearance.
The matter will return to court on December 10, 2025, as the search for answers continues.