The whereabouts of 31-year-old blogger and IT expert Ndiangui Kinyagia remain unknown, even as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) insists he is not in their custody.
This comes just hours after the High Court ordered DCI Director Amin Mohamed and Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome to either present Ndiangui in court or explain his ten-day disappearance.
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, June 30, DCI boss Amin denied any knowledge of the blogger’s whereabouts.
“Ndiangui is not under the custody of the National Police Service. Wherever he is, I urge him to surrender to the nearest police station,” Amin said.
Ndiangui was reportedly linked to a controversial post shared on X (formerly Twitter), which featured a mock invitation to the June 25 protests in Nairobi. The post, which bore Kenya’s coat of arms and referenced symbolic events such as a march to State House and the swearing-in of a ‘transition council’, was flagged as incitement.
“He is a person of interest to us after publishing very inflammatory material on social media. I’m sure you all saw the timetable that circulated on the platforms,” Amin added.
He confirmed that officers carried out a lawful search at Ndiangui’s residence in Kinoo, where they seized several electronic devices believed to be crucial to ongoing investigations.
However, eyewitnesses have disputed the DCI’s account. Residents claimed that at least ten unmarked vehicles arrived at Ndiangui’s residence on June 21 around 2 p.m. After hours of discussions with the building caretaker, officers allegedly broke into his home around 9 p.m. without presenting a court order. Ndiangui was reportedly not present at the time.
Amin confirmed that officers took inventory of seized items and left, maintaining that police do not have the blogger in their custody. He said he will comply with the court order and appear before the judge to clarify the situation.
“We don’t have him. That is what I’m going to tell the judge tomorrow. He should surrender to assist in our investigations,” Amin stated.
In a related incident, a boda boda rider identified as Joseph Kanja has also gone missing after reportedly helping a woman injured during the protests. Kanja told a friend via WhatsApp that he was abducted by men in a grey Subaru without number plates shortly after arriving at his home.
He claimed the men threatened him and confiscated his phone before forcing him into the vehicle. His whereabouts remain unknown.
The twin disappearances have raised concerns among human rights groups, who are calling for greater transparency and accountability in police operations related to the June 25 protests.
