The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has denied any involvement in the disappearance of blogger and activist Ndiangui Kinyagia, even as public concern intensifies ten days since he was last seen.
Speaking during a press briefing on Monday, DCI Director Mohamed Amin stated that Kinyagia is a person of interest in an ongoing investigation but is not in the custody of the National Police Service.
“Ndiangui Kinyagia was a person of interest to us after publishing inflammatory content on social media,” Amin said. “Our investigations confirmed the account used to share the posts belonged to him. We profiled him, identified his residence, and conducted a lawful search at his apartment in Kinoo.”
According to Amin, several electronic gadgets believed to be linked to the case were recovered during the search, though Kinyagia himself was not found. The search inventory, he added, was signed by the apartment’s caretaker to confirm the legality of the process.
Kinyagia was last seen shortly after posting a controversial programme for the anti-government protests scheduled for June 25. Authorities have interpreted parts of his content as a call for regime change, prompting heightened scrutiny from law enforcement.
Earlier Monday, the High Court issued an order compelling Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and DCI Director Amin to either produce Kinyagia or appear in court on July 1 to explain his whereabouts. The directive followed a habeas corpus petition filed by Kinyagia’s family and civil society groups, alleging an enforced disappearance.
Despite the court order, Amin maintained that the government is not holding the blogger and called on him to surrender to the nearest police station.
“Mine is to confirm to Kenyans that Ndiangui is not under the custody of the National Police Service. Wherever he is, I urge him to come forward,” Amin said.
Meanwhile, Kinyagia’s family insists they have not heard from him since his disappearance. Online campaigns under the hashtag #WhereIsNdiangui continue to trend, with human rights organisations demanding accountability and warning of a potential breach of constitutional rights.
