The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has denied arresting or detaining missing blogger Ndiangui Kinyagia, dismissing claims that he is being held incommunicado as “malicious, unfounded, and baseless.”
In response to a habeas corpus application filed by Kinyagia’s lawyers, the DCI filed a sworn affidavit through Sergeant Samuel Itegi, stating that the blogger is not in their custody. The affidavit further claims that efforts to trace and lawfully arrest him are ongoing.
“The 2nd respondent did not arrest the second petitioner. He is not in the hands of my client or in their custody,” the DCI’s lawyer told the court.
The affidavit outlines intelligence received on June 20, 2025, allegedly linking Kinyagia to social media posts inciting members of the public to storm and occupy State House an act the state considers a threat to national security under the Protected Areas Act.
DCI investigations claim the inciting content was posted on X (formerly Twitter) and included a protest timetable shared on June 19, 2025. The posts reportedly urged followers to participate in what were initially advertised as peaceful commemorations for young people who died during the June 25, 2024, demonstrations near Parliament.
According to the DCI, officers tracked the blogger to his residence in Kinoo but failed to find him. His phones were reportedly switched off. A search was conducted at his locked apartment on the night of June 21 under Section 60 of the National Police Service Act, which permits search without a warrant in certain circumstances.
During the operation, officers allegedly recovered laptops, phones, two Kenyan passports, and a vaccination certificate. The search was witnessed by the building’s caretaker, Jane Njango, who informed police that Kinyagia had left earlier that day in the company of one man and two unidentified women.
The DCI also revealed that several other suspects linked to the online posts have already been arrested and arraigned.
Despite the DCI’s denial, Kinyagia’s lawyers insist the blogger was unlawfully abducted by state agents and is being held without charge. They argue that the state must account for his whereabouts.
In court, the DCI urged Justice Chacha Mwita to dismiss the habeas corpus application and grant them more time to conclude investigations. “A complaint had been made and investigations are underway. We are seeking more time,” the court was told.
The matter remains before the High Court even as public concern grows over the blogger’s fate and the state’s handling of the case.
