Margaret Rukwaro hasn’t slept in days. Ever since her son Ndiang’ui Kinyagia, a 35-year-old IT expert, disappeared from his Kinoo home on Saturday, her life has been consumed by fear and unanswered questions. Her pain is visible, her voice breaking as she recalls the moment she knew something was terribly wrong.

“I called him to check on how he was doing. His phone was off but he responded on WhatsApp, telling me he would be offline for about an hour. I asked if everything was okay, and he assured me all was well,” she said.

But when his phone and WhatsApp went completely silent just a few hours later, she says her heart sank.

“I panicked. I stayed up the entire night trying to call him. As a mother, I felt something was terribly wrong,” Rukwaro said, wiping tears from her eyes. What scared her most, she said, was that her son — usually active online — had suddenly gone silent.

Worried and unsure what to do, she sent her daughter Njeri to check on him at his Kinoo residence. When they arrived on Monday, neighbours shared a disturbing account.

“They told us that on Saturday at around 2pm, 10 Subaru vehicles arrived, and men, whom they later knew were DCI officers, tried to access the premises. The caretaker refused because they had no search warrant. A standoff ensued until around 9pm, when they broke in and ransacked the house,” Rukwaro said.

Inside, the men reportedly took two laptops, two mobile phones, two passports, and a yellow fever card. An inventory was only written after the caretaker demanded it, and it was scribbled on a paper with a DCI logo.

Still hoping for official answers, the family visited Kinoo Police Station. But instead of help, Rukwaro said they were met with denial.

“He told us he should have been informed, and gave us an OB number. We want our son back. I don’t have another son. I voted for this government. Why are they doing this to our children?” she asked, her voice full of anguish.

Njeri is demanding accountability and a proper legal process.

“If anyone was offended by his posts, let them follow due process. This is supposed to be a free country. People may disagree with your opinions, but abducting someone is reckless and only aggravates the situation,” she said.

She believes her brother is being targeted because of his online posts about the Gen Z protest anniversary.

“We have seen the programme posted so many times. If that is the reason, then they should arrest the millions who reposted it. What is happening is disturbing,” Njeri said.

The Law Society of Kenya has also weighed in, calling the incident a serious breach of the Constitution.

“The details shared with us by Mr Kinyagia’s family are deeply troubling. This incident bears hallmarks of an enforced disappearance and possible unlawful detention,” their statement read.

Lawyer Wahome Thuku, who is representing the family, said the raid lacked legal basis.

“From what the family has shared, this was an irregular operation. You cannot break into someone’s house without a court order, especially in their absence,” he said.

He confirmed that the family has officially reported the matter and now plans to take legal action. “We reasonably believe the police know where he is or are directly involved. The courts must act swiftly,” said Thuku.

As hours turn to days with no word from Ndiang’ui, his mother’s voice grows quieter, but her hope refuses to fade. “Let them bring him home. I just want my son. That’s all I want,” she said.