High Court Demands Answers on Disappearance

NAIROBI, KENYA – The High Court has summoned Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to appear in person on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, to provide a comprehensive report on the investigation into the disappearance of prominent security analyst Mwenda Mbijiwe. The order, issued by Justice Martin Muya at the Milimani Law Courts, marks a significant escalation in the four-year-long quest for answers by Mbijiwe's family. The judge described the directive as the "final adjournment," warning that no further delays would be tolerated. This development follows a series of court orders compelling the state to produce Mbijiwe, dead or alive, which have so far gone unheeded.

A Four-Year Mystery

Mwenda Mbijiwe, a former Kenya Air Force officer and a well-regarded commentator on security matters, was last seen on Saturday, June 12, 2021. He was reportedly travelling from Nairobi to his rural home in Meru County. The vehicle he had hired for the journey was later found abandoned near Tatu City in Kiambu County. His family, led by his mother Jane Gatwiri M'Ithinji, filed a missing person's report and has since embarked on a relentless search, checking police stations, hospitals, and mortuaries across the country without success. In a sworn affidavit, Gatwiri stated that her son was abducted along Roysambu in Nairobi by men believed to be plainclothes security officers in an unmarked vehicle. The family also revealed that prior to his disappearance, Mbijiwe had reported receiving death threats at Nairobi's Central Police Station, recorded under OB number 75/16/06/2021.

Legal Battle for Accountability

Frustrated by the lack of progress in the police investigation, Mbijiwe's family filed an urgent habeas corpus application at the High Court, seeking to compel state authorities to produce him. Represented by lawyer Evans Ondieki, the family has accused the Office of the Inspector General, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) of failing to provide truthful or consistent information, describing the process as a "circus". During a hearing on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, Ondieki argued that the agencies had been "shifting goalposts" and withholding critical updates from the court and the family. He noted the immense "psychological and emotional torture" the family has endured over the past four years.

Judicial Scrutiny Intensifies

Justice Muya's recent summons follows several unheeded court directives. In October 2025, the court had ordered both IG Kanja and DPP Renson Ingonga to produce Mbijiwe within seven days, an order that was not complied with. The family's lawyer had subsequently requested a warrant of arrest for the IG, a plea the court declined, opting instead to issue the direct summons for his appearance on December 3rd. The judge has now demanded a full, detailed account of all investigative steps taken since Mbijiwe's disappearance. The DPP's office informed the court that it had received an investigation file from the DCI and required more time to review it, a request that highlighted the ongoing delays that have characterized the case. At the time of his disappearance, Mbijiwe was reportedly facing a court case for allegedly acquiring Ksh150,000 fraudulently. The upcoming court date is now seen as a critical moment that could finally shed light on the government's knowledge of the analyst's whereabouts and bring a measure of resolution to his long-suffering family.