City Hall’s ‘total man’ Osman Khalif Abdi: Power behind Sakaja’s inner circle

Controversy has continued to stalk Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s powerful aide Osman Khalif Abdi, from his dramatic disappearance and recovery in 2023 to subsequent court proceedings in which he sought protection against arrest over offences that have never been publicly disclosed to date.

Behind Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration at City Hall is a political operative whose influence, according to people familiar with county affairs, extends well beyond the conventional responsibilities of a personal assistant.

Osman Khalif Abdi has emerged as one of the key figures in Sakaja’s inner circle, operating at the intersection of political liaison, access to the Governor and county decision-making.

Within political circles, Osman has acquired the nickname “City Hall’s Total Man”, a reference to the reputation he has developed as a powerful gatekeeper and political intermediary.

The description evokes memories of the late President Daniel Moi era, when former Cabinet minister Nicholas Biwott was popularly associated with the nickname “Total Man” because of his perceived influence and proximity to the centre of power.

At City Hall, Osman’s role has similarly attracted attention, particularly because of his access to the Governor and his involvement in political and administrative networks surrounding the county government.

However, it is his extraordinary personal ordeal in 2023 that brought him into the national spotlight.

The disappearance

Osman disappeared in November 2023 after allegedly being abducted at a shopping mall in Nairobi.

His wife, Yasmin Osman, reported him missing after he allegedly failed to return home. She said he had been abducted while leaving Sarit Centre in Westlands at around 4pm.

Reports at the time indicated that Osman was allegedly taken by several armed men who were travelling in a double-cabin vehicle.

His disappearance triggered concern among his family, associates and political allies, eventually resulting in court action seeking state intervention to establish his whereabouts.

His legal team, led by lawyer Eric Theuri, moved to court seeking orders compelling the State to produce him.

On November 16, 2023, the High Court directed the State to produce Osman in court or explain why it could not do so.

Justice Chacha Mwita ordered the Attorney-General and the Director of Public Prosecutions to produce him before the court on November 17, 2023, or show cause why he should not be released.

The case placed renewed focus on the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and whether state agencies had any information concerning his whereabouts.

Found in Dandora

Osman was eventually found on November 21, 2023, in Dandora, Nairobi, after spending 17 days missing.

He was reportedly discovered unconscious and was taken to hospital for medical attention before being allowed to recuperate at home.

His family, through their lawyer, asked that investigations into the disappearance continue, saying they wanted authorities to establish who had taken him and determine the motive behind the incident.

The development did not, however, bring the questions surrounding Osman to an immediate end.

Instead, another legal chapter followed.

The mysterious arrest question

In a subsequent court application, Osman claimed that plain-clothes officers believed to be from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations attempted to raid his office and arrest him on December 18, 2023.

According to his court papers, the officers did not explain why they wanted to arrest him or disclose the alleged offence under investigation.

He further questioned why he could not simply have been summoned to a police station if investigators wanted to question him.

Osman also alleged that state agencies had denied involvement in his earlier disappearance while, according to him, officers appeared to possess a photograph showing him shortly before he entered a private office.

He told the court that he was being followed and subjected to intimidation and frustration despite what he described as the State’s position that it had no connection to his abduction.

“I’m being followed around, blackmailed, frustrated and humiliated yet even before this court, the state agencies have denied showing anything to do with my abduction or having a complaint case against me,” Osman said in his court papers.

He subsequently sought orders restraining the Inspector-General of Police from arresting, detaining or interfering with his liberty unless and until formal charges were brought against him.

Justice Mwita directed him to serve the Inspector-General and the DCI, who were listed as respondents, with the court papers ahead of the hearing.

The proceedings raised an unanswered question to date over what exactly the investigators wanted to question or arrest Osman over.

No formal charge against him is identified in the material cited, leaving the precise nature of the alleged offence unclear.

The man behind the access

Away from the court proceedings, Osman’s growing prominence at City Hall has continued to attract interest.

As Sakaja’s personal assistant and key liaison figure, he occupies a position that gives him proximity to the Governor and exposure to people seeking access to the county administration.

Political actors, county officials, business interests and members of the public seeking appointments or engagements with the Governor often have to navigate layers of political and administrative gatekeeping.

It is within this environment that Osman’s influence has grown.

People familiar with City Hall politics describe him as an important link between the governor and political networks, with his influence extending into the management of relationships between the county administration and various political actors.

His exact formal powers, however, remain less clearly defined than the influence attributed to him by political insiders.