Tech entrepreneur Ndiang’ui Kinyagia, who had earlier been reported missing, has revealed that he was not abducted but went into hiding over threats to his life.
In court on Tuesday, his lawyer, Martha Karua, explained that Kinyagia’s decision to remain unreachable was driven by fear, citing past incidents where people allegedly picked up by police were later found dead.
“Going into hiding was a reasonable response,” Karua told the court. She said Kinyagia deliberately stayed off phone communication and avoided contact, not to mislead authorities or the public, but purely for his own safety.
During this period, Kinyagia said police unlawfully entered his home, changed the locks, and carried out a search without his approval.
Karua also defended Kinyagia’s mother, who had reached out to the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), believing her son had been abducted. She argued that the mother acted out of genuine concern, given the rise in enforced disappearances.
Justice Chacha Mwita ruled that Kinyagia’s fears were legitimate and that his decision to go into hiding was understandable. The court also cleared the LSK of any wrongdoing, saying it acted in good faith based on the family’s request.
With Kinyagia now back, the court closed the case and marked the petition as withdrawn.
The judge reminded police of their duty to respect human rights and ordered that Kinyagia must not be subjected to harassment or torture. Any future threats, the court added, should be handled if and when they occur.
