NAIROBI, Kenya – A tense courtroom scene unfolded Tuesday morning in Nairobi when an unidentified man disrupted proceedings at the Milimani Law Courts, accusing a government lawyer of concealing the whereabouts of missing blogger Ndiang’ui Kinyagia and denouncing what he called a pattern of extrajudicial actions by Kenya’s security services.
The disruption occurred during a session in which lawyers for the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) were responding to a court order issued a day earlier.
That order compelled Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome and DCI Director Mohamed Amin to present Kinyagia in court following reports of his enforced disappearance.
Midway through the DCI’s submissions, the man stood up from the public gallery and delivered an emotionally charged outburst, drawing gasps from observers and momentarily halting proceedings.
“We will not come here to listen to your stories,” the man shouted, pointing directly at the DCI’s counsel.
“You have abducted someone. His family is crying, and you are here telling us stories.”
Court officers attempted to restrain him, but the man continued shouting accusations.
“Enough is enough. Extrajudicial killings and disappearances must end now. We must stop this madness,” he declared, as security personnel tried to restore order.
It remains unclear how the man gained entry into the courtroom, or whether he had any personal connection to the missing blogger. He was later escorted out by police, but not before igniting fresh public scrutiny over the government’s handling of high-profile disappearances.
The episode came moments after the DCI’s legal representative denied any role in Kinyagia’s disappearance, stating the agency “had no knowledge” of the blogger’s whereabouts and insisting that due process was being followed.
Kinyagia, a vocal social media critic of government policy and alleged police abuses, has not been seen since his reported abduction by unidentified individuals last week in Nairobi.
Human rights groups have raised alarm over a recent wave of disappearances targeting activists and online dissidents.
Outside the courtroom, relatives of Kinyagia stood silently, some in tears, while activists decried what they described as growing impunity within the security apparatus.
“This man may have been removed from court, but his words echo what many Kenyans feel,” said Miriam Wanjiru, a member of the Nairobi-based Civil Rights Front.
“Too many voices are going silent in this country, and it’s time we demanded answers.”
The judge adjourned the session briefly before resuming, reiterating the government’s obligation to comply with Monday’s directive to produce the missing blogger.
A compliance hearing has been scheduled for later this week.
In recent months, the Ruto administration has faced growing pressure—domestically and internationally—over its response to allegations of enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and police brutality.
While top officials have repeatedly pledged reform, critics say accountability remains elusive.
If confirmed, Kinyagia’s disappearance would mark yet another chilling case in what rights defenders fear is a broader crackdown on digital dissent in Kenya’s increasingly restive political climate.
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