Activist Boniface Mwangi is set to be arraigned at Kahawa Law Courts on Monday on terrorism-related charges after spending two nights in custody at Pangani Police Station.
Mwangi's arrest has triggered sharp condemnation from civil society organisations, legal experts and political figures who accuse the government of misusing anti-terrorism laws to criminalise peaceful dissent and suppress civic freedoms.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) confirmed Mr Mwangi’s arrest via a post on its official account stating that the activist was being held “in connection with the facilitation of terrorist activities during the June 25, 2025, protests.”
Activist Boniface Mwangi’s lawyer Njanja Maina (second right) speaks to journalists flanked by Mwangi's wife Njeri and other activists outside Pangani Police Station in Nairobi on July 20, 2025.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
According to the DCI, officers recovered two mobile phones, a laptop and several notebooks from Mr Mwangi’s residence. A subsequent search at Mageuzi Hub, Mwangi’s Nairobi-based civic space, allegedly led to the seizure of 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 tear gas canisters and a blank 7.62mm round.
However, the activists legal team and allies have cast doubt on both the legality of the searches and the authenticity of the evidence presented during a media briefing on Sunday at Pangani Police Station.
Boniface Mwangi's family, activists camp outside Pangani Police Station
Mr Mwangi’s lawyer Njanja Maina questioned the warrant used in the search, stating it only authorised entry to his office and not his Lukenya home.
“The DCI’s claim that they found tear gas and ammunition is fabricated. These items were not documented during the search nor presented to us at the time. This is a textbook case of planted evidence. We can confirm with certainty that Boniface did not possess those items,” said Ms Maina.
Silence government critics
She added that he was being detained without formal charges and described the arrest as part of a broader campaign to intimidate and silence government critics, especially those involved in the recent Gen Z-led anti-government protests.
Njeri Mwangi, the activist’s wife, said the arrest did not come as a surprise given the current wave of politically motivated detentions.
Mwanase Ahmed, an activist at Mageuzi Hub who witnessed the arrest, described it as a coordinated raid with clear intent to intimidate.
“They came in plainclothes and used unmarked vehicles, refused to properly identify themselves and immediately targeted our servers and files.” she said.
