NAIROBI — The government has formally dropped terrorism-related charges against activist Boniface Mwangi and will now pursue two separate offenses involving unauthorized possession of ammunition and teargas.
Boniface Mwangi was arrested on Saturday, July 19, during a police raid at his home in Lukenya, Machakos County. He had initially been accused of aiding terrorist activities linked to the June 25 anti-government protests. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) claimed to have recovered items that raised national security concerns.
However, revised charge sheets released Monday show the terrorism charges have been abandoned.Boniface Mwangi will instead be charged with possession of one round of 7.62 x 51mm blank ammunition without a valid firearm certificate and unlawful possession of three teargas canisters. Both offenses are said to have occurred during a search at his Mageuzi Hub office on Rose Avenue in Nairobi’s Hurlingham neighborhood.
The Firearms Act, under which he is now charged, imposes strict penalties for unlawful possession of ammunition or related equipment. His court appearance is scheduled at Kahawa Law Courts.
Authorities initially stated that Boniface Mwangi’s arrest followed the discovery of multiple items during the raid, including two unused teargas canisters, the blank ammunition, nine external hard drives, two laptops, company seals, stamped documents, checkbooks, and various office materials.
The DCI had publicly claimed the items were part of a broader investigation into “planned terror activities.” But with the terrorism case now dropped, critics are questioning the motives behind Mwangi’s arrest.
Hussein Khalid, a close associate of Boniface Mwangi, dismissed the government’s shift in charges, saying, “How confused this government is. Now they’ve dropped the terrorism charges against Boniface Mwangi. They’re charging him with ‘possession of ammunition.’”
Siaya Governor James Orengo also condemned the earlier charges. “By stretch of any tortured legal definition and factual foundation, it’s ridiculous to charge Boniface Mwangi and our children who have demonstrated a high level of political consciousness with terrorism,” Governor Orengo stated. “Protected speech and political action should never be criminalized.”
Former Chief Justice David Maraga weighed in last week, accusing the Ruto administration of weaponizing the justice system to target peaceful protesters. “The reckless application of the Prevention of Terrorism Act to suppress political dissent is unjustified,” David Maraga said after appearing in court in support of youth detained in Gilgil.
Activist Boniface Mwangi, a vocal government critic, has maintained his innocence. The withdrawal of the terrorism charges is expected to intensify public scrutiny of the government’s ongoing crackdown on demonstrators involved in the June protests. Rights groups and legal experts have raised concerns over the misuse of anti-terror laws to suppress dissent.
The case is ongoing.
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