NAIROBI, Kenya— Embakasi East MP Babu Owino is basking in a courtroom victory streak, fresh off winning his second high-profile case as an advocate of the High Court — and this time, it’s personal.
On Monday, June 30, Justice Chacha Mwita ruled in favor of Owino’s habeas corpus application, ordering Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss Mohamed Amin to produce missing tech expert and blogger Ndiangui Kinyagia — dead or alive.
Kinyagia, 31, has been missing for 10 days following a widely reported police raid on his Kinoo residence. The case has ignited national concern and intensified scrutiny on top security officials accused of using abductions to muzzle dissenting voices.
For Babu Owino, this wasn’t just another day in court. This was a statement — both legal and political.
“The IG, be prepared to come with our client. The DCI boss has also been summoned to appear tomorrow in court physically,” Owino told journalists outside the court. “Meet us there as we protect the inherent and inalienable rights of these Kenyans that can never be infringed.”
Justice Mwita issued a stern ultimatum: produce Kinyagia or provide a credible explanation. The respondents have until Tuesday at 11:00 am to appear in court, and until close of business Monday to respond formally to the application.
Kinyagia, a tech-savvy political blogger, reportedly disappeared shortly after announcing plans to lead demonstrators to State House — an act that included symbolically lowering the presidential standard flag.
According to eyewitnesses, around ten vehicles allegedly filled with DCI officers surrounded Kinyagia’s compound on June 21.
The officers broke into his apartment at 9pm after a seven-hour standoff with the caretaker. By the time they left nearly nine hours later, two laptops, two passports, two mobile phones, and even a yellow fever card had vanished — along with Kinyagia himself.
Babu Owino says that a search inventory confirms his client was taken, yet there’s been no formal charge, no court appearance, and no communication. “This is an abduction, pure and simple,” he declared.
This comes hot on the heels of another courtroom triumph for Owino, who represented Suleiman Wanjau Bilali and Robert Otiti Elwak — the latter a former Harambee Stars captain — against police attempts to detain them for 10 days.
The duo stood accused of inciting unlawful protests via social media, publishing what authorities termed “false and inciteful information” aimed at destabilizing national security.
Prosecutors even claimed the suspects plotted to infiltrate peaceful demonstrations with violent goons targeting none other than State House.
But in court, Owino — alongside fellow lawyer John Maina — successfully countered the prosecution’s narrative.
The judge rejected the application for extended detention, delivering the MP his first win as defense counsel in the Gen Z protest crackdown cases.
With human rights groups raising alarm over police brutality, abductions, and incommunicado detentions, Owino is stepping into a vacuum — not just as a legislator, but as legal shield for the country’s Gen Z-led uprising.
If Monday’s order is enforced, it will mark a rare moment of institutional accountability at the highest levels of Kenya’s security command. And if not? Expect Owino to be back in court — and on camera — demanding answers.
For now, Babu Owino is walking tall, courtroom robe over shoulder, riding the momentum of legal victories in a nation where justice is often too delayed or too denied.
