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How Kenyan trader abducted in Dar got dumped in Mombasa


The abduction of a Kenyan businessman in Tanzania last Monday took a new twist after he arrived in Mombasa on Tuesday afternoon.

Mr Raphael Ongangi was abducted on June 24 as he and his wife were driving home after a visiting their daughter in a school in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Mr Ongangi, who is in a Mombasa hospital, said he was waiting for a delegation from Tanzania before he could talk about of his ordeal.

His abduction was linked to his association with Mr Zitto Kabwe, an outspoken critic of President John Pombe Magufuli, whom he once served as personal assistant.

According to the opposition politician, the government wanted someone who could access his phone and laptop, which they took from him in June.

“I have not been able to access my social media pages because I do so only using my devices, which were confiscated by detectives,” he said.

“I was surprised to see my pages active. The only other person who has access to the accounts is Mr Ongangi. It’s surprising that days after his abduction, my accounts are still active,” he added.

‘HELD BY GOVT’

During a media briefing in Tanzania on Monday, Mr Kabwe claimed that Mr Ongangi was being held by the government.

“We have been able to get the number plates of the vehicles that were used during the abduction of Raphael from CCTV cameras.

The vehicle belongs to a special force headed by Tanzania intelligence services,” he told journalists.

The Nation has established that Mr Ongangi was in Tanzania until early yesterday morning, when he left for Mombasa.

The day he was abducted, Mr Ongangi was driven to a house near Mikocheni SDA Church – via Nelson Mandela Road – where he spent the night.

Reports indicate that at 4am, yesterday, Mr Ongangi left Dar es Salaam for the Lunga Lunga/Horohoro border point, about a two-hour drive to Mombasa, in a group of cars belonging to a special Tanzanian security unit.

But the journey from Dar via the Lunga Lunga border can last anything between 12 and 14 hours.

The Tanzania government vehicles passed through the Tanzania/Kenya border without Mr Ongangi having to produce any travel documents.

According to our sources, the vehicles were not stopped for any inspection.

DUMPED NEAR SHOP

They arrived in Mombasa at around 1pm, and Mr Ongangi was dumped near his aunt’s shop, from where he walked to her thoroughly shaken. The family immediately rushed him to hospital, where he is under observation.

Mr Ongangi was with his wife, Ms Veronica Kundya, when they were ambushed by gunmen claiming to be police officers. They forced Ms Kundya forced her to the back seat of the couple’s car and drove them to Safari Beach, near Msasani fish market.

The gunmen then moved Mr Ongangi to another car and drove sped off with him, telling Ms to wait for communication from them. CCTV cameras show three cars, two motorbikes and the couple’s car around the scene.