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High Court judge Chacha Mwita has ordered the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to present missing blogger Ndiangui Kinyagia in court.
Should they fail to comply, Justice Mwita has directed that both Kanja and DCI Director Amin Mohammed appear in person on July 1 to account for Kinyagia’s absence.
Kinyagia, 35, was last seen at his home in Kinoo before an operation involving several unmarked Subaru vehicles was reported at his residence.
Witnesses said individuals believed to be law enforcement officers forcibly entered the premises and seized electronic equipment, including mobile phones, laptops, hard drives and personal documents.
No warrant was presented during the operation, and no official record of arrest has been issued since.
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Family efforts and police response
According to the family, efforts to trace Kinyagia’s location through police stations in Kinoo and Kikuyu yielded no information.
Officers at both stations reportedly denied knowledge of the raid or his detention.
A handwritten inventory of seized items, left at Kinyagia's residence and seen by the family, bore the logo of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
The LSK filed today's habeas corpus application in response to what it described as an enforced disappearance.
The application, heard before Justice Chacha Mwita at Milimani Law Courts, sought an order requiring security agencies to produce Kinyagia in court or present lawful grounds for his continued detention.
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Kinyagia's online activism
@daguindd, Ndiangui Kinyagia's X page
Kinyagia is known for running an online account under the name “Daguin Dd” on social media platform X, where he regularly shared information on governance, digital rights and public accountability.
In the days leading up to his disappearance, he had been involved in publicising the first anniversary of the Gen Z protest movement, including designing and circulating schedules for commemorative events held on June 25.
His case has drawn comparisons to a series of disappearances reported during protests linked to the Finance Bill in 2024.
Trends in enforced disappearances
A report by Missing Voices, a coalition of civil society organisations tracking police killings and disappearances, recorded 55 enforced disappearances in 2024, a 450 percent increase from 10 cases in 2023.
June 2024 accounted for the highest number of enforced disappearances in any single month, with 15 incidents.
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Concerns over rising cases of arbitrary arrest and incommunicado detention have also resurfaced following the arrest of three other activists on June 26.
John Mulingwa Nzau, Mark Amiani and Francis Mutunge Mwangi were detained by police and are reportedly being held at Muthaiga Police Station.
They are facing charges related to incitement and malicious damage to property.
Online campaigns calling for Kinyagia’s release have gained traction, with the hashtag #FreeNdianguiKinyagia trending nationally on X.
The High Court has now ordered Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to present Kinyagia without delay.
If he is not produced, Justice Chacha Mwita has directed that both Kanja and DCI Director Amin Mohammed appear before the court on July 1 to account for his absence and whereabouts.