Nairobi – Kenyan human rights campaigner Boniface Mwangi was arrested at his home near Nairobi and his office searched, the latest in a long series of arrests, his wife and an NGO said on Saturday.
The prominent activist and former photojournalist has been detained on many occasions, including in May when he was abducted in Tanzania and allegedly tortured by security forces over several days.
“The police have come to our home and are taking my husband, talking of terrorism and arson! They’ve taken his gadgets and said they are taking him to DCI HQ,” said his wife Njeri Mwangi on X, referring to the headquarters of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
BREAKING: Kenya’s most prominent activist Boniface Mwangi to be charged in court for having unlicensed ammunition because of “three teargas canisters” and a blank round displayed at his office pic.twitter.com/9Ycp0ARJGW
— Larry Madowo (@LarryMadowo) July 21, 2025
Hussein Khalid, director of rights group Vocal Africa, confirmed the arrest on X and said Mwangi is being held at a Nairobi police station and should remain in custody “until Monday”.
An activist shared with journalists the search warrant, which accuses Mwangi of having paid “goons” to cause trouble during anti-government protests on June 25.
Some 19 people died that day when protests in memory of victims of police violence last year turned violent.
The warrant said Mwangi “was involved in activities that resulted in property being damaged and looted, and members of the public being robbed and harmed”.
Mwangi said in a social media post shared by his supporters: “I am not a terrorist”.
The announcement of his arrest quickly sparked a wave of condemnation on social media, with the hashtag #FreeBonifaceMwangi circulating widely.
On May 19, Mwangi was arrested along with award-winning Ugandan journalist and activist Agather Atuhaire in Tanzania’s economic capital, Dar es Salaam.
They were in the country to offer support to Tanzanian opposition figure Tundu Lissu, facing a potential death sentence in a treason trial, ahead of elections in October.
They were detained for several days and both accused police officers of acts of torture and sexual assault, and this week filed a case with the East African Court of Justice (EACJ).
Since the beginning of a large protest movement in Kenya in June 2024, President William Ruto has faced sharp criticism over a series of abductions and police violence.
Human rights organisations allege that more than 100 people have been killed since the beginning of last year’s anti-government rallies, which were harshly suppressed.
Protests on July 7 were the deadliest in a year, with at least 38 deaths, including a 12-year-old girl.
