Kenya's High Court will hold a full hearing on Wednesday, 11 November, into the disappearance of Nairobi lawyer Abshir Ahmedsadak Abdi, as the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) warns that lawyers will down their tools nationwide until the advocate is produced.

The hearing at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi is scheduled for 2:30pm. It follows a ruling on Tuesday, 10 November, in which Justice Alexander Muteti cleared the way for a substantive hearing of the habeas corpus application filed by Abdi's brother, Zakaria Abshir, seeking to establish the advocate's whereabouts.

Abdi was reportedly abducted in the early hours of 1 November 2026 along Muchai Road, off Ngong Road in Nairobi. His vehicle was later found abandoned, and his whereabouts have remained unknown since.

What the court decided on 10 November

Justice Muteti ruled that the application is ready for hearing, noting that the affidavit filed by the applicants contains damning allegations that merit greater scrutiny of the conduct of state security agents. He observed that the state possesses the technical, technological and logistical capability to resolve disappearances and complex criminal matters.

The judge also observed that there was no dispute that Abdi was missing and that the state had not produced him before the court despite the proceedings seeking to establish his whereabouts. He cautioned, however, that the state's failure to produce the lawyer should not be used as a reason to suspend or delay the proceedings.

In the same ruling, Justice Muteti declined for now to summon Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin and National Intelligence Service chief Noordin Haji, directing instead that the matter be heard first to determine whether to summon the three top security chiefs. He said it would be fair for the applicant to be heard without further delay.

Lawyers threaten a nationwide strike

The Law Society of Kenya, which is the first interested party in the case, intends to ask the court to summon senior security officials, including the Interior Cabinet Secretary, the Principal Secretary, the Inspector General of Police, the Director of Criminal Investigations, the Deputy Inspector General and the National Intelligence Service, according to LSK President Charles Kanjama.

Lawyers have announced plans to down their tools and seek adjournments in courts across the country until Abdi is produced. Senior Counsel Eric Theuri, who represents the family, warned that the disappearance follows a pattern of coordinated abductions involving preparation, tracking and the use of firearms.

The applicants, who are expected to testify on Wednesday, say they have photographs and video footage they say could help identify persons seen in connection with the advocate's disappearance. Theuri said the material could help identify one or two of the persons seen in the footage.

State denies holding the lawyer

Security officials have maintained that they neither abducted nor held Abdi. The state has admitted that he was a person of interest under investigation, although the court was not told what became of those investigations after failed attempts to obtain custodial orders.

The LSK has said Abdi's disappearance may be linked to a case he was handling at the Makadara Law Courts. The hearing on Wednesday will allow the society to present its witnesses and evidence on the circumstances surrounding his disappearance before the court makes its final determination on the application. Read the reports from Kenya Digest and Court Helicopter.