Arrested Kenyan Activist Faces Terror Charges
At least 19 people were killed during the June 25 demonstration against President William Ruto's government, which was itself called to pay tribute to victims of police violence at another major protest on the same date last year.
Mwangi, who was arrested at his home near Nairobi, is being held at a police station in the capital and will be arraigned on Monday, Kenya's Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said on X.
The activist denies the charges, saying in a social media post shared by his supporters: "I am not a terrorist."
His detention triggered a wave of condemnation online, with the hashtag #FreeBonifaceMwangi going viral.
Rights groups also condemned his arrest.
The search warrant police used to raid Mwangi's home, which an ally shared with journalists, accuses the campaigner of having paid "goons" to stoke unrest at last month's protests.
However, 37 rights organisations, along with dozens of activists, said that none had yet managed to prove that a judge had indeed issued that warrant.
Mwangi's arrest on "unjustified terrorism allegations" represents an abuse of the justice system to crush the opposition, the organisations said in a joint statement.
"What began as targeted persecution of young protesters demanding accountability has metastasized into a full-scale assault on Kenya's democracy," the groups said.
Investigators said they had seized two mobile phones, a laptop and several notebooks from Mwangi's home in Lukenya, east of the capital, plus hard drives, two more computers, two unused tear gas canisters and a blank firearm cartridge from his office in Nairobi.
Mwangi, a former photojournalist, has been arrested multiple times in Kenya.
He was also arrested on May 19 in Dar es Salaam, neighbouring Tanzania's largest city, while turning out in support of treason-accused Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
Both Mwangi and a fellow detainee, award-winning Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire, accuse the police of torturing and sexually abusing them while they were in custody.
The pair have brought a case to the East African Court of Justice.
Since the start of the mass protest movement in Kenya last year, Ruto has faced sharp criticism over a series of abductions and police violence.
Rights groups say more than 100 people have been killed since the beginning of the protests, which were harshly suppressed.
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DW
21-07-2025
- DW
Kenya drops terror charges against activist Boniface Mwangi – DW – 07/21/2025
Mwangi was detained on Saturday and accused of the "facilitation of terrorist acts", which he denied. After widespread condemnation, he was charged with a lesser offense of unlawful possession of ammunition. 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.
DW
21-07-2025
- DW
Kenya drops terror charge against activist Boniface Mwangi – DW – 07/21/2025
Mwangi was detained on Saturday and accused of the "facilitation of terrorist acts", which he denied. After widespread condemnation, he was charged with a lesser offense of unlawful possession of ammunition. 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.
Int'l Business Times
21-07-2025
- Int'l Business Times
Kenya Drops Terror Charge Against Prominent Activist
Kenya dropped terror charges against prominent Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi on Monday, following widespread condemnation, hitting him with a lesser charge of unlawful possession of ammunition. The east African country has seen a wave of deadly protests against President William Ruto and police brutality that have left dozens dead and thousands of businesses destroyed. Rights groups have criticised the government's heavy-handed response, including the recent use of terrorism charges against protesters. Mwangi was detained 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". He appeared in a Nairobi court on Monday chanting "Ruto Must Go". His charge sheet, seen by AFP, accused him of "possession of noxious substances to wit three teargas cannisters without lawful authority", as well as a single round of blank ammunition. He pleaded not guilty and was released on a one million shilling (around $7,000) bail bond. "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. "Our president thinks people are being paid to go to the streets, and they think I am the financer. "People hate Ruto for free," he said. A coalition of rights groups welcomed the court's decision to drop the terrorism charges, but said they remained "deeply concerned" by the use "in more than 100 other cases". It urged authorities to "abandon this dangerous approach to managing public dissent". Mwangi's detention over the weekend triggered significant online condemnation under the hashtag #FreeBonifaceMwangi. The search warrant police used to raid his home and office accused the campaigner of paying "goons" to stoke unrest at protests last month. Mwangi has been arrested multiple times in Kenya. He was also detained in May in neighbouring Tanzania where he was attending the treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Mwangi and Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire say they were tortured and sexually abused while in the custody of Tanzanian police before being returned to their respective countries. The pair brought a case against the Kenyan, Tanzanian and Ugandan governments to the East African Court of Justice last week. Mass protests initially broke out in Kenya in June 2024 over tax rises, and reignited last month over police violence and illegal detentions. Rights groups say more than 100 people have been killed by police in the latest round of protests, while the government puts the figure at 42.
