Several human rights organisations have defended activist Boniface Mwangi following his arrest and charges related to the possession of noxious substances, dismissing claims linking him to terrorism.
Mwangi was arrested on Friday, July 19, 2025, at his home in Lukenya, Machakos County, and taken to Pangani Police Station, where he remained in custody over the weekend. According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the arrest was linked to the alleged facilitation of terrorist activities during the June 25 anti-government protests.
“During the arrest, detectives recovered two mobile phones, a laptop, and several notebooks,” DCI said in a statement.
He was later taken to his office at Mageuzi Hub on Rose Avenue in Nairobi, where officers conducted a search. According to the DCI, the search yielded nine external hard drives, two laptops, company seals for Brave Media Ltd and Courage Ltd, a company stamp, six cheque books, stamp duty documents, two unused teargas canisters, and one 7.62mm blank round.
However, lobby groups on Monday dismissed the terrorism accusations, saying they were politically motivated. In a joint statement, they said the Director of Public Prosecutions had opted not to proceed with terrorism and money laundering charges initially floated by the DCI.
“The charges of possession of ammunition without a valid licence will be argued by a robust defence team,” they said.
The groups linked Mwangi’s arrest to what they termed a broader crackdown on dissent. “His arrest follows weeks of coordinated, well-funded online disinformation campaigns targeting Boniface Mwangi, members of the Police Reforms Working Group, human rights defenders, and opposition parties,” read the statement.
They condemned what they described as a growing misuse of the Prevention of Terrorism Act to suppress public dissent, saying over 100 other cases had been similarly handled.
“This practice undermines Kenya’s criminal justice system and jeopardises critical international partnerships aimed at safeguarding national security,” the statement said.
They urged the Judiciary to uphold justice and resist political pressure. “We call on the Judiciary to adhere to the Constitution and reject attempts to turn the courts into tools of political persecution,” they added.
Mwangi was arraigned at the Kahawa Law Courts on Monday, July 21, 2025.
According to the charge sheet, he was found in possession of three teargas canisters “without lawful authority” at his Mageuzi Hub office in Nairobi on the day of his arrest.
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