By Andrew Kariuki
The High Court has directed the immediate release of laptops and mobile phones seized from blogger Ndiangui Kinyagia, ruling that their continued detention by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) was unlawful.
Justice Lawrence Mugambi found that the police had exceeded the court-approved period for holding the devices and failed to seek a lawful extension to continue with investigations.
The judge held that once the authorised timeline lapsed, the DCI no longer had any legal basis to retain the gadgets.
In his ruling, Justice Mugambi described the continued possession of the devices as illegal and an act of impunity, noting that investigative agencies must strictly operate within the limits set by the law and the courts.
The court ordered that the devices be released immediately to Kinyagia.
However, it also directed that the parties involved file additional affidavits and written submissions as the petition challenging the seizure continues.
The matter is scheduled to come up again for further hearing on April 20, 2026.
