Blogger and IT expert Ndiangui Kinyagia has clarified that he was never abducted but instead went into hiding out of fear for his life. In court, he revealed that threats of abduction, torture, and possible killing pushed him to live incommunicado for weeks.
According to his affidavit, while running an errand, he was informed that police officers had entered his house without permission, conducted a search, and even changed the locks. This alarming development convinced him that his life was in imminent danger. Fearing surveillance through his mobile phone, he left it behind and cut off communication with everyone, including his mother.
During his time in hiding, Ndiangui says he lived in harsh conditions but resisted the urge to resurface due to the grim accounts of abductions and enforced disappearances in the country. However, his situation became unbearable, prompting him to purchase a new phone. Upon reaching out to a cousin, he learned that a court case had been filed concerning his disappearance. This discovery led him to finally present himself before the court.
In his sworn affidavit, he explained that he constantly contemplated resurfacing but was haunted by the possibility of abduction and torture. He stated that his decision to hide was solely to preserve his life in the face of the threats he believed were directed at him.
The court acknowledged his explanation, with the presiding judge noting that the disappearance stemmed from a genuine fear for his safety. The judge further emphasized that the case brought forward by the Law Society of Kenya was initiated under instructions from Ndiangui’s mother, who had been distressed by her son’s sudden disappearance.
Importantly, the court also cleared the Law Society of any wrongdoing, stating that it acted within its mandate after being approached by the family. The proceedings came to a close after the judge had earlier ordered investigative authorities to produce Ndiangui in court, dead or alive. With his voluntary reappearance, the matter was concluded, and the court wished him well.
Ndiangui’s case underscores the growing climate of fear surrounding abductions and extrajudicial threats. His ordeal highlights the lengths to which individuals feel compelled to go in order to safeguard their lives.
