Family Appeals for Help as Kenyan Medic Remains in Al-Shabaab Captivity in Somalia

The family of Kenyan clinical officer Ambrose Kimiti has renewed calls for urgent action after a video emerged showing him alive in captivity nearly a year after his abduction in Somalia.

Kimiti, 44, has been held by the Somalia-based militant group Al-Shabaab since January 2024. He was part of a United Nations-contracted medical evacuation team whose helicopter crash-landed in Somalia’s Galgaduud region on 10 January 2024. The crew was seized shortly after the incident.

His relatives say they last spoke to him two days before the crash and have since received no direct communication. The only confirmation of his condition has come from an undated proof-of-life video that began circulating recently.

In the video, Kimiti addresses UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Kenyan President William Ruto, asking them to intervene to secure his release. He says that the mission was humanitarian and says the United Nations has not succeeded in securing the freedom of those held. He also appeals to the Kenyan public to support efforts to bring him home.

His sister, Christine Wamuyu, said the footage had been distressing for the family. She told Nation that months have passed without any contact and that it remains unclear when the video was recorded. She said the family has formally reported the case to Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs through local representatives.

According to Wamuyu, meetings with the Somali Ambassador to Kenya have not produced concrete results. Neither the Kenyan government nor the United Nations has issued a public statement on the case.

She said her brother is a health professional with no political role and urged authorities to intensify diplomatic efforts. She added that the situation has had a severe impact on their mother, who has high blood pressure and has struggled with the prolonged uncertainty.

Kimiti is from Leshau Pondo Ward in Nyandarua County and has previously worked in conflict settings, including Mali and Afghanistan. He is married and has three children, having lost one child previously. His employer, the British medical support company Iqarus, continues to provide a monthly stipend to support his family.

Another Kenyan health worker, Emma Chesumo, was reportedly captured during the same incident. Wamuyu said both cases should receive equal attention from authorities.

Galgaduud is regarded as a high-risk area due to the presence of Al-Shabaab, and the abduction highlights the dangers faced by humanitarian workers operating in the region. No formal demands have been made public by the captors.

Kimiti has spent two birthdays in captivity and is expected to turn 45 in March 2026. His family says they are waiting for decisive action and continue to hope for his safe return.