Ndiangui Kinyagia: What’s the real story?

The country has been treated to a spectacle over the past two weeks or so. The main protagonist, or antagonist, depending on what side of the fence you sit, being none other than Ndiangui Kinyagia. Tech entrepreneur Kinyagia disappeared on June 21, and Kenya has been on edge with demands for his release. It had been a common theory that Mr Ndiangui had been abducted, as a consequence of posting a controversial would-be occupy State House programme. But on Thursday July 3, he reappeared with an explanation that he was in hiding.

For a government pummelled with accusations of dishonesty, and a nation that has entirely lost trust in State institutions, could this have been part of a long con — whether with Kinyagia as an active participant, or a coerced party?

The saga began when Kinyagia vanished from his home in Kinoo, Kiambu County. Neighbours reported a raid by individuals believed to be Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers, arriving in a convoy of up to10 Subaru vehicles. The operation was allegedly triggered by Kinyagia’s social media post outlining a “timetable” for the June 25 anti-government protests.

The Law Society of Kenya, and a vocal public demanded answers, with hashtags trending furiously. Justice Chacha Mwita of the High Court ordered DCI boss Mohammed Amin and Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to produce Kinyagia by July 3, dead or alive. The nation braced for the worst, haunted by Kenya’s history of enforced disappearances.

Then, in a twist that strained credulity, Kinyagia resurfaced, precisely on July 3. Accompanied by his family and lawyer Wahome Thuku, he appeared in court, claiming he had been in hiding for 12 days out of fear for his life after learning the DCI was pursuing him over “unknown criminal allegations.” Thuku stated that Kinyagia contacted a family member on July 1, just hours before the DCI faced judicial scrutiny. The timing was uncanny — too convenient for a government battered by accusations of dishonesty.

Orchestrate a disappearance

Could this saga be a script designed to manipulate public perception? Picture this: facing a crisis of credibility, elements within the state orchestrate a disappearance that captures national attention. The DCI, as it did on June 30, denies involvement, insisting Kinyagia was not in custody. The public, human rights groups, and the Judiciary are whipped into a frenzy, demanding accountability.

Then, at the peak of the uproar, the “missing” individual reappears, claiming to have been in hiding, seemingly vindicating the authorities. The message here: “We don’t lie. We didn’t have him. And if anyone disappears in future and we say we don’t have him, you should definitely believe us”

The theatrics of Kinyagia’s “abduction” don’t help either. Doesn’t a raid involving 10 Subarus just weeks after the death of teacher Albert Ojwang’ in police custody feel too reckless, if not part of a ploy? Was Kinyagia’s case engineered for maximum impact, designed to inflame public outrage only to deflate it with his safe return, and casting doubt on future claims of abductions?

Other than the explanation that he was in hiding, two other possibilities emerge, each unproven but grim. The first is that Kinyagia was abducted, then coerced, perhaps tortured or threatened into compliance. The idea of a man so terrified of the State that he hid for 12 days without contacting his family is plausible in a country where disappearances are commonplace.

The second, even darker possibility, is that Kinyagia was complicit, a willing participant in a plot to sanitise the State’s reputation. Some quarters argued that Kinyagia’s return validates the police’s claims of non-involvement, while embarrassing those, including Justice Mwita, who fought for his release. The notion that Kinyagia might have willingly misled a nation praying for his safety is deeply cynical, yet his silence during those 12 days and the impeccable timing of his return makes it very hard to dismiss entirely.

A victim or a participant

Public sentiment reflects this as well. While some expressed relief at Kinyagia’s safety, others have criticised him for causing distress, with accusations that his actions were irresponsible, even reckless. How could Kinyagia, knowing that the entire country was looking for him, go in hiding for 12 days without any communication? How could a single person hide for 12 days, undetected by the State security system?

The High Court’s decision to bar Kinyagia’s arrest until July 18 offers temporary relief, but it does not address the underlying distrust. The family’s report to Kinoo Police Station (OB Number 16/23/06/2025) and the absence of formal charges against Kinyagia only fuel suspicions that he was likely, if true, targeted for his activism, not for any concrete crime.

Kinyagia’s reappearance, while itself a great relief, is no resolution. It raises more questions than answers: Why did he not contact his family sooner? How did he remain undetected for so long? Was the raid a genuine operation? And, most importantly, who stands to benefit from all this? For a nation still reeling from the deaths and detentions that followed last year’s protests, could this be another chapter in a campaign to erode trust and sow confusion?

Whether Kinyagia was a victim or a participant, his case underscores a chilling reality: our institutions, especially the police, are entangled in a web of distrust and dysfunction. The struggle for accountability must continue. We cannot allow this drama — whether scripted or not — to derail the fight for a Kenya where freedom thrives, and no citizen fears disappearing for a social media post.

The truth behind Ndiangui Kinyagia’s disappearance may remain elusive, but one thing is certain: the script, as it stands, presents massive plot holes. In a country where truth is often the first casualty, that’s a story we are happy to accept as long only as soon as it decides to meet a reasonable intellectual threshold.

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