Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi is at the center of a high-profile legal battle after being charged with “facilitation of terrorist acts” and unlawful possession of ammunition. Mwangi, a renowned human rights defender, was arrested on Saturday, July 19, 2025, following allegations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) linking him to the violent anti-government protests of June 25, 2025, which claimed at least 30 lives. In response to the accusations, Boniface Mwangi firmly declared, “I am not a terrorist,” dismissing the charges as baseless.
According to the DCI, a raid on Mwangi’s Lukenya home in Machakos County led to the seizure of two mobile phones, a laptop, and several notebooks. A subsequent search at his Nairobi-based Mageuzi Hub reportedly uncovered additional electronic devices, company seals, cheque books, two unused tear gas canisters, and a 7.62mm blank round. Authorities allege these findings point to Mwangi’s logistical and financial involvement in organizing the protests.
Mwangi’s lawyer, advocate Njanja Maina, has strongly disputed the DCI’s narrative, accusing the police of fabricating evidence to frame his client. Maina criticized the sudden terrorism-related accusations, describing them as a deliberate attempt to tarnish Boniface Mwangi’s reputation and silence his activism.
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The arrest of Boniface Mwangi has sparked widespread condemnation from civil society organizations, human rights groups, and opposition leaders, who argue that the charges are an attack on dissent and freedom of expression. Siaya Governor James Orengo dismissed the charges as “ridiculous,” emphasizing that political activism and free speech should not be criminalized. Similarly, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka described Mwangi’s arrest as “an assault on freedom of expression and justice,” accusing the government of targeting its critics.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and former Chief Justice David Maraga have also weighed in, accusing the government of misusing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) to intimidate protesters and stifle democratic rights.
Currently detained at Pangani Police Station, Boniface Mwangi is expected to be arraigned on Monday, July 21, 2025.
