A High Court judge has issued a sharp rebuke to Kenya's top security officials after they failed to appear in court to account for the whereabouts of the missing former KDF soldier and security analyst Mwenda Mbijiwe.
Speaking in a court proceeding on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, Justice Martin Muya expressed his displeasure when Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin sent representatives instead of appearing personally to explain what is known about security analyst Mwenda Mbijiwe.
Mbijiwe has been missing for nearly four years following his alleged abduction.
The two senior officers were represented by advocate Paul Nyamodi and an investigating officer, a decision that did not sit well with Mbijiwe's grieving family.
Through her legal team, Mbijiwe's mother pushed for arrest warrants to be issued against Kanja and Amin for defying court summons requiring their physical presence.
Nyamodi defended the absence, claiming his clients had not been adequately served with the summons.
"I took time at the beginning to explain that the investigating officer is present and that the court made directions for the two senior officers without having had an opportunity to hear the status of the investigations," Nyamodi submitted.
He argued the investigating officer was better positioned to update the court on the case's progress.
The lawyer also suggested that Mbijiwe's mother had not officially reported her son missing to the police.
Under cross-examination by Justice Muya, the investigating officer stated that a missing persons report had been filed by Mbijiwe’s wife at Lang’ata Police Station, while a separate report was later lodged by his stepmother in 2021.
Family lawyers dismissed the debate over who filed the report, insisting the key issue was that the disappearance had been reported and remained unresolved.
Appearing visibly frustrated by the exchanges, Justice Muya issued a firm caution, urging parties to stop evasion, stressing the seriousness of the matter, and calling for full openness and cooperation from everyone involved.
