After days of anguish and uncertainty, the family of missing blogger Ndiang’ui Kinyangia experienced a powerful moment of relief and emotion in a Nairobi courtroom on Thursday, July , 2025.
The room fell silent as Kinyangia walked in—alive and safe—alongside his legal counsel, lawyer Kibe Mungai and senior counsel Martha Karua. The sight of her son brought Kinyangia’s mother to tears. She rushed forward, embracing him in a long, tearful hug as the court watched the emotional reunion unfold.
Kinyangia had been missing for over a week under unclear circumstances, triggering growing concern from family, the public, and human rights groups. His disappearance sparked calls for transparency and accountability, culminating in a directive from High Court judge Justice Chacha Mwita earlier this week that the blogger be produced in court “dead or alive.”
On Thursday morning, family lawyer Wahome Thuku confirmed that Kinyangia had contacted a relative on the evening of Tuesday, July 2. In that phone call, he said he was alive and well, but had gone into hiding after learning that officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) were searching for him in connection with undisclosed allegations.
Ndiang’ui indicated to the family member that he had gone into hiding out of fear for his life upon learning that DCI officers were looking for him over unknown criminal allegations,” said Thuku.
Thuku added that Kinyangia is ready to cooperate with law enforcement, but only under conditions that guarantee his safety.
He is ready and willing to present himself to the DCI and to appear in court once there is clear assurance that his life and security will be protected,” he said.
The DCI has not yet issued any public statement detailing the reason for their interest in Kinyangia. His legal team and family continue to call for full transparency and demand guarantees for his safety amid ongoing public scrutiny over the case.
Kinyangia’s reappearance ends a harrowing week for his loved ones but raises fresh questions about state surveillance, intimidation of digital activists, and the safety of government critics in Kenya.
