The High Court has issued a dramatic directive ordering the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Mohamed Amin, and the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, to produce missing activist and blogger Ndiangui Kinyagia in court — “whether dead or alive.”
The ruling was made on Tuesday by Justice Chacha Mwita following a habeas corpus application filed by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK). Kinyagia has been missing since June 21, with his last known contact being with DCI officers who allegedly visited his residence in Kinoo.
“The DCI officers visited his residence, and they are the only ones who were there when he disappeared,” Justice Mwita remarked during the hearing.
The judge raised serious concerns over the state’s account of events, especially after noting that the police’s narrative was based on an unnamed caretaker who had neither appeared in court nor sworn an affidavit.
Mwita questioned the credibility and accountability of the investigation, stating:
“We need an explanation of where the person is.”
In a strong rebuke to the authorities, the judge directed DCI Chief Amin to appear in person before the court on Thursday, July 3, for further questioning.
In its affidavit, the state claims that Kinyagia was being investigated for allegedly inciting the public during the recent Gen Z protests. Police say they visited his home after obtaining intelligence on his activities but found it empty.
They then forcibly entered under Section 60 of the National Police Service Act and confiscated personal items including laptops, mobile phones, and passports.
Despite this, Kinyagia has not been seen or heard from since the incident, and no official arrest or court appearance has been confirmed.
The case has sparked outrage online and among human rights groups, with growing calls for the state to account for his whereabouts.
The Law Society of Kenya has described the disappearance as deeply alarming and a threat to constitutional freedoms.
The matter will be mentioned again in court on Thursday for further directions as the pressure mounts on the security agencies to produce Kinyagia and shed light on his mysterious disappearance.