NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The prominent Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi was on Monday charged with unlawful possession of ammunition in a case stemming from his alleged role in street protests against the government.
Opposition leaders and Mwangi’s followers 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.
The charge sheet said the suspect possessed three canisters of tear gas without lawful authorization. His attorney, Njanja Maina, told reporters on Sunday that Mwangi never possessed such items.
Mwangi’s wife Njeri, in a post on the social media platform X, said on Saturday that security personnel raided their home and took the activist and his electronic gadgets while “talking of terrorism and arson.” Police said after his arrest on Friday that Mwangi was linked to the facilitation of violent activities in recent street protests. Detectives searched his home and his office.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission described the ammunition charge as a “trumped-up accusation.”
“This pattern of inventing charges to harass and silence activists like Mwangi erodes public confidence in the independence” of the justice system, the civic group said.
The rights group Amnesty International said in a statement Monday that legal action against Mwangi appears to be “part of a broader effort to intimidate lawful dissent and those committed to upholding the rule of law.”
“We are deeply concerned by the continued misuse of the Prevention of Terrorism Act to manage public order in more than 100 other cases,” Amnesty said. “This practice undermines Kenya’s criminal justice system and jeopardizes critical international partnerships aimed at safeguarding national security.”
Mwangi is a well-known pro-democracy activist in Kenya. On X, where he has 2 million followers, he describes himself as “The People’s Watchman.” He has been a critic of successive Kenyan governments.
Protesters who have rocked President William Ruto’s administration say they want to rid his government of corruption, marked by theft of public resources and the seemingly extravagant lifestyles of politicians.
They also say that Ruto, in power since 2022, has broken his own promises to working-class Kenyans. The protests started in mid-2024 when Ruto proposed aggressive new tax measures opposed by many Kenyans.
At least 500 people are facing criminal prosecution following arrests during protests in June and July that resulted in at least 47 deaths.
