Judiciary intensifies probe into Mbijiwe’s 2021 disappearance, demanding testimony to unlock the puzzle of the former airman’s fate.

The cold case of missing security analyst Mwenda Mbijiwe has burst back into life with the High Court summoning a crucial witness to testify. Justice Martin Muya’s directive signals a renewed judicial determination to crack the mystery that has haunted the Mbijiwe family since the former Kenya Air Force officer vanished without a trace in June 2021.

The Witness and the Web

The summoned witness is expected to shed light on the final hours of Mbijiwe, who was last seen driving a hired vehicle to Meru. The family, led by his tenacious mother Jane Gatwiri, has long alleged a cover-up involving state agents, pointing to the fact that the vehicle was recovered but the man was not.

"We are not asking for favors; we are asking for the truth," Gatwiri told the press outside the courtroom, her voice trembling with a mix of grief and defiance. The court’s move to compel testimony suggests that the initial police investigation may have left critical stones unturned.

• The Disappearance: Mbijiwe vanished on June 12, 2021, while traveling to his rural home.
• The Allegations: The family claims he was abducted by people known to him, possibly linked to his security work.
• The Delay: For nearly five years, the case has been mired in bureaucratic inertia, with police offering scant updates.

A Mother’s relentless Crusade

Jane Gatwiri’s relentless pursuit of justice has kept her son’s name in the headlines. She has petitioned the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Inspector General of Police, accusing them of lethargy. This summons is a direct result of her legal team’s pressure to force the state to account for one of its own citizens.

As the court date approaches, anxiety hangs heavy. Will this witness provide the breakthrough that solves the puzzle, or will it be another dead end in a saga that exposes the dark underbelly of Kenya’s security apparatus?