Mwenda Muthuri Mbijiwe, also known as Peter Mwenda Mbijiwe, was one of Kenya’s most prominent security analysts, counterterrorism consultants, and former military officers before his shocking and still-unresolved disappearance on June 12, 2021.
A former commander of the Kenya Air Force’s Air Defense Control Unit, he had retired in 2007 to build a distinguished post-military career as a security consultant, media commentator, CEO of Eye on Security Ltd, and senior pastor of Glory Cathedral Church in Nairobi.
His disappearance remains one of Kenya’s most high-profile and disturbing unresolved cases, raising grave concerns about enforced disappearances and the treatment of individuals with sensitive knowledge of state security matters.
Profile
| Full Name | Mwenda Muthuri Mbijiwe (also Peter Mwenda Mbijiwe) |
| Birthplace | Kimbo Village, Meru County, Kenya |
| Nationality | Kenyan |
| Occupation | Security Analyst, Former Military Officer (Kenya Air Force), CEO Eye on Security Ltd, Pastor |
| Mother | Ms. Gatwiri Jane |
| Stepfather | Mr. Nkonge Stephen |
| Brother | Bundi Nicholas |
| Sister | Tamara Mbijiwe |
| Status | Missing since June 12, 2021 |
Early Life
Mwenda Muthuri Mbijiwe was born and raised in Kimbo Village in Meru County, in the Mount Kenya region of Kenya. He grew up in a community-oriented environment shaped by the values and traditions of the Meru people, a Bantu ethnic group known for their strong sense of community, work ethic, and respect for authority. His early life in rural Meru County provided the foundation for a career that would eventually take him to the most sensitive levels of Kenya’s national security architecture.
He showed early aptitude for discipline, leadership, and public service, qualities that drew him toward a military career. After completing his secondary school education, he joined the Kenya Air Force, where his abilities earned him steady advancement through the ranks and eventually to a command position.
Education
Mwenda Mbijiwe pursued his higher education while balancing both military service and later civilian professional responsibilities. He studied at the University of Nairobi between 2014 and 2017, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Armed Conflict and Resolution, a qualification that provided the academic framework for his practical expertise in national security, conflict management, and peacebuilding. He subsequently enrolled at Tel Aviv University, Israel, where he completed a Master of Arts (MA) in National Security and Diplomacy between 2020 and 2021, one of the world’s most prestigious programmes in the field, located in a country internationally recognised for its sophisticated security and intelligence establishment. His choice of Tel Aviv University reflected both the premium he placed on international best practice in security studies and the professional networks he sought to build in the global security community.
Career
Mwenda Mbijiwe’s career began with his service in the Kenya Air Force, where he rose to become the Commander of the Air Defense Control Unit, a sensitive and technically specialised role within Kenya’s air defence architecture. He retired from the Kenya Air Force in 2007, having served Kenya with distinction in one of its most technically demanding military roles.
Following his military retirement, he transitioned into the private security consultancy sector, founding Eye on Security Ltd, a consultancy firm through which he provided training and expertise to both private firms and government agencies on counterterrorism, security management, and risk assessment. His work empowered security specialists and provided consulting services and training sessions for professionals across Kenya’s security industry. He also worked with several top institutions in Kenya, further establishing his reputation as one of the country’s foremost civilian security authorities.
He became a regular and highly sought-after commentator in Kenyan media, providing security analysis and expert opinion on counterterrorism, national security threats, and regional instability. His articulate and knowledgeable commentary made him a familiar face on Kenyan television and radio, and he built a reputation as an informal security adviser to the highest levels of government. He was widely regarded as an informal security adviser to former President Uhuru Kenyatta, reflecting the trust the government placed in his expertise.
In August 2019, he was appointed as Vice President of the Sister Cities Association of Kenya (SCAK), demonstrating his involvement in civic and international community engagement beyond the security sector. He also served as a senior pastor of Glory Cathedral Church in Nairobi and as CEO of the Resurrection Glory Ministries International, reflecting a faith dimension to his public service that ran alongside his secular professional activities.
In 2017, Mbijiwe contested the Meru Gubernatorial seat but withdrew from the race in favour of Peter Munya, demonstrating political ambition that he eventually chose to subordinate to party unity rather than pursue at that time.
Disappearance (June 12, 2021)
On Saturday, June 12, 2021, Mwenda Mbijiwe was last seen travelling from Nairobi to his rural home in Meru County. According to witnesses, two uniformed police officers stopped his rented vehicle at the Roysambu Roundabout on Thika Road in Nairobi. His vehicle was subsequently found abandoned with the engine running, a discovery that deepened suspicions of foul play rather than voluntary disappearance. His phone signal was last traced to Thika in Kiambu County before it was turned off permanently.
His family, including his mother Ms. Gatwiri Jane, his stepfather Mr. Nkonge Stephen, his brother Bundi Nicholas, and his sister Tamara Mbijiwe, filed a missing person’s report at the Central Police Station and publicly appealed for information. His mother made an emotional appeal to the international community, calling on the governments of South Africa, the United States, and Israel to assist in locating her son. To date, no official arrests have been made and no definitive answers about his fate have been provided by Kenyan authorities.
The case drew national and international attention as a symbol of enforced disappearances in Kenya, a deeply troubling pattern that has been documented by human rights organisations. ODM leader Raila Odinga commented on the case publicly, though some of his remarks were later clarified to avoid confusion with the late politician Gilbert M’Mbijiwe Kabere.
More than four years after his disappearance, as of June 2025, the case of Mwenda Mbijiwe remains unresolved, haunting his family and serving as a focal point for advocacy against enforced disappearances in Kenya.
Personal Life
Mwenda Mbijiwe was born in Kimbo Village in Meru County to Ms. Gatwiri Jane and was raised with the support of his stepfather Mr. Nkonge Stephen. He had a brother, Bundi Nicholas, and a sister, Tamara Mbijiwe. He was a man of faith who served as a senior pastor of Glory Cathedral Church in Nairobi alongside his security career, a combination of public service roles that reflected the breadth of his personal commitment to the communities he served. His disappearance in June 2021, while he was at the peak of his professional influence, left a devastating void in the lives of his family and in Kenya’s security analysis community.
Net Worth
Specific information about Mwenda Mbijiwe’s personal net worth is not publicly available. As a senior security consultant, media commentator, and government advisory figure, his professional income was drawn from consultancy fees, media appearances, institutional training contracts, and his ministerial work. His profile as one of Kenya’s most sought-after security experts suggests a comfortable professional income, though specific figures were never disclosed.
FAQs
Who is Mwenda Mbijiwe?
Mwenda Muthuri Mbijiwe is a Kenyan security analyst, former commander of the Kenya Air Force’s Air Defense Control Unit, CEO of Eye on Security Ltd, and pastor who disappeared under mysterious circumstances on June 12, 2021.
What happened to Mwenda Mbijiwe?
He was last seen on June 12, 2021, travelling from Nairobi to Meru County. Witnesses reported seeing him stopped by uniformed police officers at Roysambu Roundabout. His car was found abandoned with the engine running. His fate remains unknown as of 2025.
Where did Mwenda Mbijiwe study?
He studied Armed Conflict and Resolution at the University of Nairobi (2014–2017) and completed an MA in National Security and Diplomacy at Tel Aviv University (2020–2021).
Did Mwenda Mbijiwe contest for political office?
Yes. In 2017, he declared interest in the Meru Gubernatorial seat under the Jubilee Party but withdrew from the race in favour of Peter Munya.
Conclusion
Mwenda Mbijiwe’s biography is both an inspiring professional narrative and a tragic cautionary tale about the vulnerability even of the most accomplished and well-connected individuals when they disappear within systems that offer insufficient accountability. His rise from Kimbo Village in Meru to commanding Kenya’s Air Defense Control Unit, building a nationally recognised security consultancy, and advising at the highest levels of government was extraordinary. His unresolved disappearance, more than four years on, remains an open wound for his family, a challenge to Kenya’s justice system, and a reminder of the urgent need for greater accountability around enforced disappearances in East Africa.