Petition filed demanding production of missing activist allegedly abducted by police in Kinoo

A petition has been filed in the High Court seeking the urgent production of a missing activist, Ndiangui Kinyangia, who was allegedly abducted by masked men believed to be plainclothes police officers.

The petition, certified as urgent, calls on the court to issue a writ of habeas corpus, directing the government—including top officials and law enforcement agencies—to immediately produce Kinyangia, who was reportedly abducted on June 21, 2025, in Kinoo.

According to court documents, the activist was seized by unidentified men armed with handguns, masked in balaclavas, and travelling in unmarked vehicles with distorted number plates.

Since the abduction, the family reports that they have received no communication regarding Kinyangia’s whereabouts or condition.

The Law Society of Kenya, which filed the petition, alleges that the disappearance is linked to the activist’s outspoken presence on social media and active engagement in civic matters. Efforts to trace him have been unsuccessful, with the family reporting the incident at Kinoo Police Station under OB Number 16/23/06/2025.

“No charges have been preferred against the 2nd Petitioner, nor has there been any formal arraignment in court,” the petition states.

“This is a blatant violation of Article 49 of the Constitution and a breach of the Criminal Procedure Code.”

Among other remedies, the petition seeks a conservatory order restraining further abductions or incommunicado detentions by the respondents. It also calls for senior government officials to be summoned to court to explain Kinyangia’s disappearance.

The petitioners are invoking Section 389 of the Criminal Procedure Code, along with various constitutional provisions, to demand accountability and transparency.

They argue that the respondents’ conduct poses a direct threat to the rule of law and the constitutional order, warning of possible national unrest if such disappearances continue unchecked.

“This Honourable Court has a duty to safeguard the rights not only of the 2nd Petitioner but of the public at large,” the petition reads. “The continued silence and inaction of the respondents is alarming, especially in light of recent public statements by senior officials denying knowledge of ongoing abductions.”