Kenya drops terror charges against activist Boniface Mwangi – DW – 07/21/2025
The prominent Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi was charged with unlawful possession of ammunition on Monday in a case stemming from his alleged role in street protests against the government.
Mwangi's supporters had feared he would be charged with the more serious offense of terrorism.
He was freed on bond immediately after his appearance in court on Monday.
Authorities claim Mwangi helped organize unrest during the June 25 protests, which turned violent and left at least 19 people dead.
The protest itself had been called to remember victims of police violence at another major protest against President William Ruto's government on the same date last year.
Mwangi, 42, was arrested on Saturday and accused by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations with the "facilitation of terrorist acts", which he denied, declaring in an image on X: "I am not a terrorist".
Police said they recovered several items from his home, including unused teargas canisters, a 7.62mm blank round, mobile phones, a laptop, and notebooks.
The charge sheet states that Mwangi was "found in possession of noxious substances to wit three teargas canisters without lawful authority." He also faces a charge for possessing a single round of blank ammunition illegally.
On Sunday, police had said they planned to arraign Mwangi on Monday for facilitating "terrorist acts" linked to the protests.
Boniface Mwangi's attorney Njanja Maina has said the activist never possessed any of the items police claim to have found.
Mwangi's wife, Njeri, said on social media that security personnel had raided their home "talking of terrorism and arson."
The courtroom in Nairobi was packed with supporters and activists, many draped in Kenyan flags, including Mwangi himself.
He was bailed out immediately after his appearance in court on Monday.
"The truth is our president is scared of young people, because young people are organising by themselves, they are going to the streets, they are demanding better," Mwangi told supporters and journalists outside the court.
Who is Boniface Mwangi?
Mwangi, a longtime anti-corruption campaigner and former parliamentary candidate, is known for his outspoken criticism of police abuses and state repression.
His arrest comes amid renewed unrest in Kenya, triggered last month by the death of political blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody.
Ojwang's death, which police first claimed was a suicide, sparked national outrage after an autopsy pointed to physical assault. The protests have built on earlier demonstrations against the high cost of living, corruption, and alleged police brutality.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
In May, Mwangi was briefly detained and deported from Tanzania after attending a court hearing for opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
He later alleged that Tanzanian security officers had assaulted him and Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire during custody.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
30 minutes ago
- DW
US: EPA moves to gut environmental oversight – DW – 07/30/2025
The Trump administration has moved to scrap emissions regulations by arguing the EPA has no oversight authority. The agency's boss announced this and laxer emissions standards while at a truck factory. US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Director Lee Zeldin on Tuesday argued that his agency does not have the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Zeldin said a key 2009 scientific assessment of the dangers of greenhouse gases that underpins the federal government's legal authority and responsibility to regulate emissions — known as the "endangerment finding" — was based on flawed reasoning. Zeldin further asserted that the Supreme Court's 2024 "Chevron deference" ruling meant the authority to regulate vehicle and energy emissions lies with Congress, not the EPA. "We do not have that power on our own to decide as an agency that we are going to combat global climate change because we give ourselves that power," he said. The EPA director said onerous environmental regulations have created a massive drag on the US economy and promised the government would slash emissions standards. "If finalized, today's announcement would amount to the largest deregulatory action in the history of the United States," he said in remarks delivered at the Kenworth Truck Factory in Indianapolis, Indiana. Standing alongside Energy Secretary Chris Wright — a former gas industry fracking exec — New York Republican Zeldin accused previous Democratic administrations of producing an ideological assessment of the health threats posed by greenhouse gases. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video An EPA press statement on the subject claimed that the Obama and Biden administrations had both used the finding "to justify over $1 trillion in regulations." At the same time, the statement claimed the move to scrap the endangerment finding would save $54 billion annually. No evidence was provided to back the claims. The endangerment finding was a peer-reviewed assessment based on scientific consensus that followed the Supreme Court's landmark case in 2007. At the time, the court ruled that the Clean Air Act, which regulates air quality, gave the EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and ordered the administration to determine whether these endangered public health. Zeldin said the repeal of the endangerment finding would do away with electric vehicle mandates and drive "a dagger into the heart of the climate change religion." The move is certain to face legal challenges and the administration will expect the Supreme Court to overturn its 2007 decision and rule in its favor when the case inevitably makes its way there. Dan Becker of the US-based environmental NGO Center for Biological Diversity told AFP news agency that it is unique for the government itself to be arguing against stricter regulation, not industry. Becker said he hoped the court will "recognize that this is science and not politics." "There was a good reason for that [2007] precedent and no good reason to revoke it," he said. "But ... this is a very political court," he added. The proposed change will be subject to a 45-day public comment period. Since returning to the White House in January, US President Donald Trump has again withdrawn the US from the Paris Agreement and forged ahead with the promise to massively expand the country's fossil fuel industries. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
DW
3 hours ago
- DW
Ivory Coast President Ouattara seeks fourth term – DW – 07/29/2025
A former banker, President Alassane Ouattara did well for the country's economy, but critics accuse him of tightening his grip on power and strongly oppose his reelection bid. He has led the Ivory Coast since 2011. Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara said on Tuesday that he will seek a fourth term in the country's October 25 presidential election, while tensions rise over the exclusion of several prominent opposition candidates. Ouattara had been nominated by his party, the Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP), but he waited until Tuesday to confirm he would run. The opposition, however, has said a fourth term would be unconstitutional. "I am a candidate because the constitution of our country allows me to run for another term and my health permits it," Ouattara said. The 83-year-old Ouattara is a former international banker and has led Ivory Coast since 2011. Previously, he had said he would like to step down. Ouattara, an economist trained in the US, has long pitched himself as a savvy technocrat capable of delivering steady growth. The numbers support him, with the IMF projecting GDP growth of 6.3% this year, matching the average from the past decade. Ouattara has made deals that helped him win two earlier reelections and stopped the kind of widespread violence that happened after he beat Laurent Gbagbo in 2010. Gbagbo's refusal to accept defeat sparked a brief civil war that killed over 3,000 people and ended only when he was arrested in a bunker at his Abidjan residence. After having served his limit of two terms, Ouattara was only able to run for a third after a new constitution reset his time in office. The opposition boycotted the 2020 vote, and Ouattara won by a landslide. The vote, however, was marred when at least 85 people were killed in the ensuing unrest. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Political analyst Arthur Banga said Ouattara's "primary success has been on the macroeconomic side" and restoring the Ivory Coast's "international influence." "But there are still democratic challenges to overcome," he added, citing lingering fears of election-related violence. Critics accuse the president of tightening his grip on power and strongly oppose his reelection bid. The opposition has accused authorities of using legal means to target their rivals and exclude Ouattara's opponents from elections. Ouattara's most prominent rival, Tidjane Thiam, was legally kept from running when a court ruled he was a French citizen at the time he declared his candidacy despite later renouncing his French nationality. Ivorian law bans dual nationals from running for president. The government insists the judiciary operates independently. The two main opposition parties have launched a joint campaign demanding the reinstatement of their barred leaders ahead of the presidential election.
DW
6 hours ago
- DW
Ivory Coast President Ouattara seeks for fourth term – DW – 07/29/2025
Ivory Coast President Ouattara has led the country since 2011. The banker did well for the nation's economy, but critics accuse him of tightening his grip on power and strongly oppose his reelection bid. Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara said on Tuesday that he will seek a fourth term in the country's October 25 presidential election, while tensions rise over the exclusion of several prominent opposition candidates. Ouattara had been nominated by his party, the Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP), but he waited until Tuesday to confirm he would run. The opposition, however, has said a fourth term would be unconstitutional. "I am a candidate because the constitution of our country allows me to run for another term and my health permits it," Ouattara said. The 83-year-old Ouattara is a former international banker and has led Ivory Coast since 2011. Previously, he had said he would like to step down. Ouattara, an economist trained in the US, has long pitched himself as a savvy technocrat capable of delivering steady growth. The numbers support him, with the IMF projecting GDP growth of 6.3% this year, matching the average from the past decade. Ouattara has made deals that helped him win two earlier reelections and stopped the kind of widespread violence that happened after he beat Laurent Gbagbo in 2010. Gbagbo's refusal to accept defeat sparked a brief civil war that killed over 3,000 people and ended only when he was arrested in a bunker at his Abidjan residence. After having served his limit of two terms, Ouattara was only able to run for a third after a new constitution reset his time in office. The opposition boycotted the 2020 vote, and Ouattara won by a landslide. The vote, however, was marred when at least 85 people were killed in the ensuing unrest. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Political analyst Arthur Banga said Ouattara's "primary success has been on the macroeconomic side" and restoring the Ivory Coast's "international influence." "But there are still democratic challenges to overcome," he added, citing lingering fears of election-related violence. Critics accuse the president of tightening his grip on power and strongly oppose his reelection bid. The opposition has accused authorities of using legal means to target their rivals and exclude Ouattara's opponents from elections. Ouattara's most prominent rival, Tidjane Thiam, was legally kept from running when a court ruled he was a French citizen at the time he declared his candidacy despite later renouncing his French nationality. Ivorian law bans dual nationals from running for president. The government insists the judiciary operates independently. The two main opposition parties have launched a joint campaign demanding the reinstatement of their barred leaders ahead of the presidential election.
