Samuel Njagi Mbugua (L) on arrival at the JKIA on Wednesday, November 5. /OPCS/XKenyan national Samuel Njagi Mbugua, who was abducted in Ethiopia more than a week ago, is back home safely after a ransom of Sh3 million was reportedly paid to his captors.
The Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary (OPCS) confirmed his return on Wednesday, a day after his release.
“We are deeply relieved to announce that Samuel Njagi Mbugua has been safely released and reunited with his family after arriving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi,” the office said in a statement on X.
Mbugua was reportedly seized on October 28 at his workplace in Debre Berhan, Amhara region, about 120 kilometres from Addis Ababa, under circumstances still under investigation.
The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs said his release followed sustained, coordinated efforts by the Ethiopian government, the Kenyan Embassy in Addis Ababa, his employer, and his family.
According to the ministry, the process involved “days of difficult negotiations and close cooperation between all parties.”
While addressing members of the Kenyan diaspora in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, on the sidelines of the United Nations Social Development Summit, President William Ruto said that a ransom payment had been made by Mbugua’s employer.
“We have been working with the government in Ethiopia, and our ambassador has really gone out of his way. Finally, we have managed to locate Njagi, and there was a demand for ransom by the abductors of Sh3 million. The company that Njagi was working for has paid that amount,” he said.
“We now have Mr Njagi in our embassy in Addis, and we will take him back home.”
True to the President’s statement, Mbugua was flown back to Kenya on Tuesday night, arriving at JKIA at 1:40 a.m. on Wednesday, November 5, where he was reunited with his family.
The OPCS said the government would continue to support Mbugua and his family as they recover from the ordeal.
The ministry reaffirmed that the welfare and safety of Kenyans working abroad remain a top priority in Kenya’s diplomatic engagements, noting that it was strengthening systems to better respond to emergencies involving citizens overseas.
During his engagement with Kenyans in Doha, President Ruto also disclosed that the government had deregistered more than 600 labour agencies deemed non-compliant, as part of efforts to protect Kenyan migrant workers.
He added that the deployment of workers abroad is now limited to countries with formal bilateral labour agreements.
“We are also pursuing new agreements to secure skilled and professional job opportunities for Kenyans abroad, enabling our youth to access better-paying roles, gain advanced skills, and bring valuable experience back home,” he said.
News of Mbugua’s release came as human rights organisations continued to call for the safe return of Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, who have been missing for 36 days after reportedly disappearing in Uganda.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, human rights defenders held peaceful demonstrations outside the Ugandan Embassy in Nairobi, demanding the duo’s release.
They claim the two men were taken by security personnel in Kampala on October 1, 2025.
Civil society groups have alleged that the activists may be held in a military facility in Uganda, though these claims have not been independently verified.
In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, Amnesty International, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), and Voices of Community Activists and Leaders of Africa (VOCAL Africa) said they had written to 11 embassies urging diplomatic pressure on the Ugandan government to help ensure the activists’ safe return.
