Court awards Ndiang’ui Kinyagia Sh5 million over unlawful raid, bars prosecution

A High Court has awarded blogger and activist Ndiang’ui Kinyagia Sh5 million in damages for rights violations during a police raid at his home in June 2025. The court also barred the police and Director of Public Prosecutions from prosecuting Kinyagia over the subsequent investigation, deeming it unconstitutional. The raid on June 21, 2025, was ruled to have violated Kinyagia's privacy and property rights by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), leading to his disappearance.

Kinyagia resurfaced at a Nairobi court on June 23, 2025, after being missing since the raid. His lawyer, Wahome Thuku, stated that Kinyagia was hiding due to threats on his life and had reached out from an undisclosed location. Kinyagia expressed willingness to present himself to the DCI and courts when his safety was guaranteed.

The case, which involved an enforced disappearance and potential unlawful arrest, prompted a court order directing police to produce Kinyagia. The DCI had denied holding Kinyagia, but later confirmed his connection to a viral social media post advocating for demonstrations. The DCI chief and DCI boss did not attend the court hearing, but police confirmed Kinyagia's whereabouts later.