A Nairobi High Court has ordered the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to immediately release blogger and IT expert Ndiangui Kinyagia’s laptops and mobile phones, a month after it had ordered the release of his passports and international vaccination card.
Justice Lawrence Mugambi, in his ruling on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, stated that it is illegal for the DCI to retain the property despite the expiry of the court-authorised period for its release, which was issued six months ago.
He further noted that the continued withholding of the blogger’s property nearly six months after the court ordered its release, without a fresh court order, constitutes an illegality the court cannot condone.
The court directed the immediate release of the laptops and phones still held by the investigative body.
“The continued holding of the laptops and mobile phones of the applicant is against the court order that authorised the confiscation of the same,” Justice Mugambi ruled.
“I thus order the restoration of the applicant’s (Ndiangui) property with immediate effect, as there is no basis for holding it, the respondents having violated the order that sanctioned the release of his property,” he added.
The court also noted that if, for any reason, the DCI could not complete the investigations within the three-week period previously given, they should have approached the court for an extension, which the court could then have considered.
On December 18, 2025, Justice Bahati Mwamuye had ordered the DCI to return Kinyagia’s passport and international vaccination card by the close of business on December 22, 2025.
Ndiangui, through his lawyers led by senior counsel Martha Karua, filed a notice of motion application on December 10, 2025, seeking a review of the court’s earlier decision that had rejected his request for the release of his travel documents.
In the new application, Ndiangui sought the release of the documents to allow him to travel to Florida, United States, to pursue a master’s degree in science.
In his ruling, Judge Mwamuye confirmed that the petitioner, Ndiangui, had received admission to a Florida university for a master’s program commencing in March 2026.
The judge further stated that he found no reason for the DCI to continue holding the IT expert’s passports and international vaccination cards, noting that the DCI had not presented any lawful justification for retaining the documents.
He also highlighted that the process of obtaining a student visa is lengthy and requires sufficient time.
“I take judicial notice that a visa application for a student visa is a lengthy process, and I see no reason why the respondent (DCI) should continue to hold travel documents not covered by an order of the lower court on the basis of investigations,” Justice Mwamuye ruled.
“The petitioner applicant (Ndiangui) has shown good and sufficient basis for this court to order the immediate release of the two passports and the international vaccination card,” he added.
