Missing city lawyer Abhir Abdi./HANDOUT

The High Court has directed police to produce missing advocate Abshir Ahmedsadak Abdi before it at 2.30 pm on Wednesday, November 4, alive or dead, as the search for the lawyer enters its fourth day.

The court also summoned the designated respondents to appear personally or through their duly appointed lawyers, accompanied by any warrants of arrest authorising Abdi's arrest and detention, and explain why he should not be immediately released from custody.

Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Director Amin Mohammed, National Intelligence Service (NIS) top leadership and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen are named as respondents.

The orders followed an application for habeas corpus seeking to compel authorities to account for Abdi's whereabouts following his reported abduction along Muchai Drive in Nairobi in the early hours of Sunday, November 1.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) president Charles Kanjama said the court had certified the application as urgent and fit for immediate determination.

The Society said it had formally joined the ongoing habeas corpus proceedings, registered as HCCRMISCAPPL/E268/2026, before Justice Alexander Muasya Muteti at the High Court in Milimani, as an interested party.

LSK said its intervention was intended to strengthen efforts to establish Abdi's whereabouts and secure his safe return through available constitutional and legal mechanisms.

The Society also secured an expedited court mention on Wednesday, November 4, after the matter had initially been scheduled for mention on November 9.

It called on all the respondents to comply fully and without delay with the court's directions, including producing the advocate and presenting any warrants authorising his arrest and detention.

The development comes amid growing pressure from the legal fraternity for security agencies to account for Abdi, with Senior Counsel Nelson Havi earlier urging Kanjama to mobilise advocates for demonstrations at Vigilance House should authorities fail to secure his release.

Havi argued that the disappearance should concern the entire legal profession, citing what he described as persistent interference by State security agencies in the work of advocates.

He also called on the court to expedite the proceedings, warning that Abdi's life could be in danger.

Meanwhile, LSK said it had engaged the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), which had committed to investigate the incident and constituted a committee to establish the identities of those involved and examine the circumstances surrounding the disappearance.

The Society said it expected the investigation to be thorough, independent, impartial and expeditious, with those found culpable held accountable.

Abdi's disappearance has raised concerns within the legal fraternity, particularly over allegations that his abduction could be linked to a case involving senior police officers.

Former LSK president Eric Theuri previously said eyewitness accounts indicated that Abdi was pursued by two vehicles, a Prado TX and a double-cab pickup, whose occupants were armed. Two of the occupants were reportedly dressed in what appeared to be police uniforms and bulletproof vests.

"The abduction is linked to a case he’s involved in against some senior police officers and he’s been subjected to various intimidation tactics prior to this incident," Theuri said.

CCTV footage circulating on social media appeared to show three men pursuing Abdi at about 4.43am before catching up with him outside a residential compound. The men are seen restraining him before bundling him into a vehicle, which then drives away.

LSK said the continued disappearance of an advocate raised serious concerns about the security of members of the legal profession, the protection of people involved in judicial proceedings and the independence of the administration of justice.

The Society invoked Articles 21, 29, 49 and 51(2) of the Constitution, reminding the State of its obligations to protect life, liberty and personal security.

It warned that failure to secure Abdi's immediate release would prompt it to escalate its response, including mobilising advocates for public demonstrations.

"The Law Society of Kenya stands firmly with Advocate Abdi's family, colleagues and the wider legal fraternity. The Society will continue to engage the relevant authorities, participate in the court proceedings and provide further updates as material developments arise," Kanjama said.