Family in plea to JPM over missing Kenyan

Dar es Salaam. Seven days after Kenyan citizen Raphael Ongangi was kidnapped by unknown abductors, his family has asked President John Magufuli to intervene to speed up investigations.

Speaking to The Citizen yesterday at her home in Dar es Salaam, Ongangi’s wife, Ms Veronica Kundya, said President Magufuli’s intervention could be effective in locating her husband who was kidnapped in her presence.

She said that, despite the fact that investigation of the incident was already under way, she believes that the president’s intervention could speed up the search.

Ms Kundya said she was grateful that the police were working on the matter, and she receives phone calls from the police and the Kenyan embassy everyday, asking her questions. This gives her hope. Joining the Ongangi wife’s request, the Kigoma Member of Parliament, Mr Zitto Kabwe, urged the Tanzanian government to work on the issue because it blemishes the country’s image.

Speaking to journalists yesterday, Zitto said kidnapping issues create negative impression of the country, so speedy, effective actions were needed to surmount such incidents.

“Governments know how to negotiate with each other. Today (yesterday), we will hand over to the Kenyan government a document showing how and where Raphael was kidnapped and taken to. The Kenyan government will see how best to save their citizen. We also ask the international community to strongly criticize the ongoing activities in Tanzania,” he said.