NAIROBI, Kenya — In a bizarre twist to an already tense saga, Kenya’s top detective now claims the police have no idea where missing blogger and lawyer Ndiangui Kinyagia is—despite viral footage showing him being bundled into a Subaru by men widely believed to be security officers.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss Amin Mohamed denied any involvement by law enforcement in Kinyagia’s disappearance.
The revelation stunned many, especially given the timing: Kinyagia vanished just days after publishing a protest itinerary calling for a symbolic “New Republic” and a march to State House.
“He is not under the custody of the National Police Service,” Mohamed stated firmly. “He is a person of interest to us, and wherever he is, I urge that he submits himself to the nearest police station.”
Let that sink in. Kenya’s police chief is asking a missing man to come forward and explain why he’s missing.
Kinyagia, a 31-year-old tech-savvy activist, had posted detailed protest plans for June 25 on his X (formerly Twitter) account, outlining a bold day of civil resistance.
The lineup included moments of prayer, silence for fallen Gen Z protesters, speeches by bereaved families—and, most controversially, a proposed lowering of the UDA presidential standard to raise the Kenyan flag in its place.
According to the post, the symbolic “New Republic” declaration would be followed by the swearing-in of a transition council. The final agenda item? A cryptic reference to action against the Head of State.
The itinerary, shared widely before his disappearance, lit up social media. But critics argue it may have also made Kinyagia a target.
While Mohamed dismissed claims of a police arrest, he admitted that the blogger had published “very inflammatory material” that had attracted the DCI’s attention. That, he said, made Kinyagia a person of interest.
But here’s the thing: videos show men—heavily armed and riding in a Subaru associated with DCI operations—storming Kinyagia’s residence in Kinoo. Witnesses claim the group stayed for hours, broke into his house, and confiscated laptops, phones, passports, and a yellow fever card.
Yet now, with the courts demanding answers, the official line is: “We don’t have him.”
The timing of this denial is critical. On Monday, the High Court ordered both the Inspector General of Police and the DCI boss to appear in person with Kinyagia—or provide a credible explanation for his absence. That hearing is now shaping up to be more than a legal matter; it’s a litmus test for accountability in Kenya’s security sector.
Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, who is representing the missing activist in court, has repeatedly accused security agencies of unlawful detention and abduction. He argues that the ongoing silence from authorities not only violates constitutional rights but undermines public trust.
“You can’t abduct someone and then ask them to surrender,” Owino said bluntly after the court ruling. “It’s absurd and unacceptable.”
As pressure mounts and outrage builds, Kinyagia’s case has become emblematic of the Gen Z protest wave sweeping across Kenya—one driven by young people demanding transparency, justice, and real answers.
