Controversial online activist Ndiangui Kinyagia has gone missing under unclear circumstances, triggering concern from his family and the Law Society of Kenya, which is now preparing to move to court to compel police to account for his whereabouts and explain a raid allegedly carried out by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

According to lawyer Wahome Thuku, Kinyagia, 31, was last heard from on the morning of Saturday, June 21. His phone later went off and has remained unreachable, with family and friends unable to trace him.

On Monday morning, the family reported his disappearance at Kinoo Police Station and were issued with an occurrence book number.

However, officers at the station reportedly said they had no knowledge of any incident involving Kinyagia and that no report had been filed by the DCI regarding any operation in the area.

The family claims that DCI officers stormed Kinyagia’s house in Kinoo on Sunday, arriving at around 2pm in about ten vehicles.

They camped outside the house for nearly nine hours, holding long discussions with the caretaker.

At around 9pm, the officers broke into the house and conducted a search, even though Kinyagia was not present at the time and no court order was produced to justify the break-in.

Neighbours who witnessed the incident said the officers left with several personal items from the house.

These included two laptops, two phones, Kinyagia’s current and old passports, and a yellow fever card. After the operation, they recorded an inventory of the items taken with the caretaker and locked the house using their own padlock.

His mother said she last spoke to him on Saturday morning before his phone went off. Since then, there has been no contact. Family and friends say all attempts to reach him have failed and no one knows where he is.

“I later accompanied the family to the LSK offices where we held a meeting with the LSK president Faith and other officials and agreed to have the society move to court for further intervention,” said Thuku, who attended the meeting.

Following the meeting, the Law Society is now preparing to file an urgent application in the High Court to compel police to produce Kinyagia and give an explanation for the raid on his house and the ongoing silence over his whereabouts.

This incident adds to rising concerns about the safety of outspoken bloggers and activists in Kenya.

In recent months, several similar cases of disappearances and detentions under unclear circumstances have been reported.

The legal action by LSK is expected to raise pressure on the authorities to explain the operation and take responsibility for the activist’s safety.