Meru-based blogger, Daniel Muthiani Benard alias sniper, was found dead on Sunday, three weeks after he went missing.
Benard was allegedly supposed to meet with Meru County leadership on Saturday, December 2, 2023, when he was reported missing.
The blogger, who is widely known for his political opinions, was found dead under mysterious circumstances.
“Muthiani’s consistent criticism of the Meru County leadership raises serious concerns about the moves behind his tragic death,” Kileleshwa MP, Robert Alai, noted in a statement.
Led by the MP, the Bloggers Association of Kenya has immediately called for investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), along with the Office of the Director of Public ProsecuAons (ODPP).
“We strongly assert that public office holders must be open to scrutiny, criticism, and hard questions, as these are essential elements of any constitutional democracy,” the association demanded.
Muthiani allegedly received a call on the day of his disappearance from a well-known acquaintance who wanted him to meet a politician.
Relaying the news to his wife, he prepared and left for Meru town, to meet the acquaintance.
However, he only confirmed his arrival at the destination to his wife, marking the last conversation between the couple.
Since then, his phone has been off and no information of his whereabouts was heard until December 17 when he was found dead.
Mathiani’s murder follows the murder of blogger Frank Obegi in 2022 and Augustus Mutuku Mwathe in 2021.
Blogger Frank Obegi
Meanwhile, the most controversial disappearance of blogger Bogonko Bosire in 2013 further underscores the gravity of the situation.