DCI Denies Holding Missing Blogger Kinyagia, Declares Him a Person of Interest in Protest Probe » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya June 30 – The Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Mohamed Amin, has denied claims that missing blogger Ndiangui Kinyagia is being held by police, insisting that the digital activist remains a person of interest and has not been arrested.

Speaking at a press briefing in Nairobi, Amin said preliminary investigations had linked Kinyagia to inflammatory social media posts believed to have incited unrest during the recent Gen Z-led protests.

“Our investigations established that the social media account behind the widely circulated protest timetables belonged to the so-called Ndangui,” Amin said, referencing the blogger’s online alias.

He confirmed that DCI officers conducted a lawful search at Kinyagia’s residence in Kinoo, Kiambu County, and recovered electronic devices relevant to ongoing investigations. The search, according to Amin, was witnessed and documented in the presence of the apartment’s caretaker.

“I want to confirm that Ndiangui Kinyagia is not in police custody. He is a person of interest, and wherever he is, I urge him to present himself to the nearest police station and assist with investigations,” Amin added.

Kinyagia, 35, a known IT expert and digital mobiliser using the X account “Dacuin Da,” has been missing since Saturday, June 22. According to the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), he was forcibly taken from his house by suspected security officers driving Subaru vehicles. Neighbours reportedly witnessed the abduction.

His disappearance has sparked outrage among human rights defenders and opposition leaders, who accuse the government of using state agencies to silence dissent.

Kinyagia’s family and rights groups say his phones went offline shortly after his last communication on June 22, raising fears of an enforced disappearance.

Meanwhile, Amin also addressed growing speculation that Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua had been summoned over alleged links to recent protests. He dismissed the reports as unfounded.

“No summons have been issued to the Deputy President. However, I wish to clarify that no one is above the law. If investigations implicate any individual, including the Deputy President, due process will follow,” he said.

Amin’s remarks come amid intensifying public scrutiny over the state’s handling of anti-government protests, which have resulted in deaths, abductions, and widespread claims of abuse by security agencies.