Kenyan police have detained veteran rights campaigner Boniface Mwangi, accusing him of helping organise last month’s deadly anti‑government protests and of illegally possessing ammunition.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations said they arrested Mwangi at his Machakos County home on Saturday, seizing two unused tear‑gas canisters, a 7.62 mm blank round, two phones, a laptop and notebooks. He will appear in court on Monday to face charges of “facilitating terrorist acts” and unlawful possession of ammunition, the agency said on X.
Nineteen people were killed during the 25 June demonstrations that followed the custodial death of political blogger Albert Ojwang, according to the state‑funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. A further 31 died when fresh protests erupted on 7 July. The movement is driven largely by young Kenyans angered by soaring living costs and alleged police brutality.
Mwangi’s arrest comes two months after Tanzanian authorities detained and summarily deported him while he was observing a court hearing for opposition figure Tundu Lissu. Mwangi later alleged he was sexually assaulted by Tanzanian security officers and has filed a case at the East African Court of Justice.