Amnesty International Kenya has called for the immediate release of blogger and activist Ndiangui Kinyagia, who has been missing since Saturday, June 21, following a reported raid on his residence in Kinoo.
In a statement issued on Friday, the rights watchdog alleged that Kinyagia was seized by individuals believed to be detectives and has since been held incommunicado. Amnesty demanded that he either be released or presented before a court, warning that secret detentions undermine constitutional freedoms.
Activist Boniface Mwangi also raised alarm over Kinyagia’s fate, suggesting the 31-year-old may be undergoing torture.
“This man is being held, and likely tortured in a detention hole,” Mwangi said, adding that the incident reflects a growing trend of targeting young Kenyans who speak out against the government.
According to Kinyagia’s family, he was taken under mysterious circumstances after a group of men in unmarked vehicles camped outside his Kinoo apartment block for nearly nine hours before forcibly entering his home. Witnesses said the men, suspected to be plainclothes officers, did not identify themselves or explain the reason for the raid.
Kinyagia, an IT expert and outspoken online commentator known by his X handle Daguin Dd, had recently claimed responsibility for designing a protest schedule aimed at directing demonstrators towards State House during recent youth-led demonstrations.
His family filed a missing persons report at Kinoo Police Station, but officers there denied knowledge of the operation or his whereabouts.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has since taken up the case. LSK President Faith Odhiambo condemned the abduction, describing it as a serious violation of constitutional rights.
“This is a blatant violation of Article 49 of the Constitution and a breach of the Criminal Procedure Code,” read a statement from LSK, which is preparing a court application to compel police to produce Kinyagia in court and explain the circumstances of his disappearance.
Six days since he was last seen, Kinyagia’s mobile phones remain off, and his location remains unknown. His disappearance has sparked national concern amid growing fears over enforced disappearances and a rapidly shrinking civic space in Kenya.
Calls for his release continue to mount, with civil society groups urging the government to respect the rule of law and protect the rights of citizens expressing dissent.
