Missing blogger Ndiang'ui Kinyagia finally appears in court after ‘hiding for fear of his life’

Ndiang'ui Kinyagia, the blogger and activist who went missing from his house in Kinoo, Kiambu County on June 22, showed up in a Nairobi court on Thursday after weeks of speculation and uproar about his whereabouts.

Kinyagia “had hidden temporarily for fear of his life upon learning that DCI officers were looking for him over unknown criminal allegations,” his lawyer Wahome Thuku said, adding that the blogger contacted a family member on Tuesday evening from an undisclosed location.

“Ndiangui has indicated that he is ready and willing to present himself to the DCI and to be presented before any court of law when his safety and security are guaranteed. We have therefore advised him to present himself before the High Court at Milimani Law Courts today,” Thuku said.

Kinyagia has been missing after being forcefully picked up from the house by suspected security officers in Subaru vehicles, according to the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) which cited Kinyagia's neighbours.

LSK said Kinyagia’s case bore “the hallmarks of an enforced disappearance and a possible unlawful arrest or detention.”

The blogger turned up in court in a maroon hooded sweatshirt, a face mask, and glasses. His family broke down in emotion as they embraced him.

The disappearance sparked furore and a court order directing the police to produce the blogger as many Kenyans suspected it to be another case of the recent abduction of youthful government critics.

But the DCI on Monday denied holding Kinyagia, saying police did not know about the blogger’s whereabouts, either.

Amin confirmed that Kinyangia was linked to an X account that posted a viral photo of a mock invitation to last week's demonstration to commemorate last year’s deadly anti-finance bill protests.

The mock image, shared on June 19, features Kenya's coat of arms and an itinerary of events, among them a march to the State House in Nairobi and the swearing-in of a so-called transition council.

“He was a person of interest to us after he published very, very inflammatory material on social media,” Amin told reporters, saying police officers only searched Kinyagia’s house, took some of his gadgets, and left.

His address came just hours after the High Court ordered the Inspector-General of Police, Douglas Kanja, to produce Kinyagia in court or provide a satisfactory explanation by Tuesday during an in-person mention of the matter.

Neither the police boss nor the DCI chief showed up at Tuesday’s court session.

But come Thursday, Amin showed up to the court moments after Kinyagia appeared in the courtroom.