Blogger and activist Ndiangui Kinyagia. /HANDOUTThe High Court has ordered Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to produce blogger Ndiagui Kinyagia by Tuesday, July 2, at 11:00 a.m., or provide a satisfactory explanation for his continued disappearance.
This directive follows concerns raised over the blogger's whereabouts, after he was reported missing for more than 10 days.
The order was issued by Justice Chacha Mwita during the hearing of a habeas corpus application filed by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK).
The LSK moved to court after Kiangui was allegedly abducted by masked, unidentified men in Kinoo on June 21 and has not been seen or heard from since.
“I have taken into account the fact that the second applicant has not been found for 10 days and that the life of a citizen is in danger,” Justice Mwita said.
The court directed that the application be served on the relevant state agencies by the close of business on Monday, with responses expected within seven days.
Justice Mwita further ordered that the matter be mentioned in person on Tuesday morning, during which the Inspector General must either produce Kiangui or give a credible explanation of efforts to trace him.
The case has drawn national attention, with rights groups
and civil society calling for transparency and accountability from security
agencies.
Amnesty International Kenya called for the immediate release of the blogger.
The rights organisation alleged that he was picked up by people suspected to be detectives.
In a statement, Amnesty International demanded that Kinyagia either be released or presented before a court of law, rather than being held incommunicado.
Activist Boniface Mwangi also raised alarm, alleging that Kinyagia could be undergoing torture
“This man is being held, and likely tortured in a detention hole,” Mwangi claimed.
Mwangi described the blogger’s disappearance as part of a broader pattern of injustice against young people expressing dissent.
According to family members, Kinyagia, a 31-year-old IT expert and prominent online commentator, vanished under suspicious circumstances after men believed to be detectives surrounded his apartment block in Kinoo.
Witnesses report that the men arrived in several unmarked vehicles and remained outside the premises for nearly nine hours before forcibly gaining entry into his home.
The calls for Kinyagia’s release come as pressure continues to mount on authorities to account for his whereabouts, six days since he was last seen.
The blogger had previously claimed responsibility for designing a protest "timetable" intended to guide demonstrators towards the
State House.
