Activist Boniface Mwangi Freed on KSh 1 Million Bond After Facing Ammunition Charges
Quote from Lawyer on July 22, 2025, 8:00 amOn Monday, July 21, 2025, prominent Kenyan human rights activist and former photojournalist Boniface Mwangi was released on a KSh 1 million personal bond by the Kahawa Law Courts in Nairobi following his arrest on Saturday, July 19. Mwangi faced charges of unlawful possession of ammunition, specifically three teargas canisters and one 7.62mm blank round, found during a police raid on his office at Mageuzi Hub in Nairobi. The charges were filed under the Firearms Act, and Mwangi pleaded not guilty to both counts. The court’s decision to grant bail came after the prosecution dropped initial terrorism-related allegations, sparking widespread public attention and criticism from human rights organizations.
Mwangi’s arrest took place at his home in Lukenya, Machakos County, where detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations conducted a search, seizing various items including two mobile phones, a laptop, nine external hard drives, company seals for Brave Media Ltd and Courage Ltd, six cheque books, and stamp duty documents. A subsequent search at his Mageuzi Hub office uncovered the teargas canisters and blank ammunition, which formed the basis of the charges. Initially, authorities claimed Mwangi was linked to facilitating terrorist activities during the June 25, 2025, anti-government protests, which resulted in significant violence, property damage, and loss of life. However, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions opted to pursue lesser charges, a move Mwangi’s legal team described as evidence of a weak case.
Principal Magistrate Gideon Kiage, presiding over the case, ruled that there were no compelling reasons to detain Mwangi pending trial, noting his well-known status and fixed place of abode. The court ordered his release on a personal bond of KSh 1 million with one surety of a similar amount. Additionally, Kiage barred police from re-arresting Mwangi within court premises or in relation to the ongoing case until its conclusion. The magistrate also directed the prosecution to analyze the seized items and return any not relevant to the case by August 21, 2025, when the matter is scheduled for mention.
Mwangi’s legal team, led by Senior Counsel Martha Karua and including lawyers Ndegwa Njiru and Mwaura Kabta, vice president of the Law Society of Kenya, requested that the case be transferred to Milimani Law Courts, arguing that the charges did not fall under terrorism-related offenses typically handled at Kahawa. The team also highlighted the seizure of personal items, such as a MacBook Pro laptop and mobile phones belonging to Mwangi’s children, urging their immediate return as they were unrelated to the charges. Mwangi himself recounted the traumatic nature of his arrest, describing how officers entered his home in shoes and surrounded him, triggering memories of a previous detention in Tanzania where he faced torture.
In court, Mwangi remained defiant, holding a Kenyan flag and chanting anti-government slogans, including “Ruto must go,” which resonated with supporters who filled the courtroom and sang the national anthem in solidarity. Outside, Mwangi addressed journalists and supporters, dismissing the charges as baseless and accusing the government of attempting to silence dissent. He denied ever working with “goons” and asserted that public discontent with President William Ruto’s administration was organic, not manufactured.
The case has drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups and civil society. A coalition of 37 organizations, including the Kenya Human Rights Commission and Amnesty International, condemned Mwangi’s arrest as part of a broader effort to intimidate activists and suppress lawful dissent. They described the initial terrorism allegations as unjustified and pointed to a pattern of misusing the Prevention of Terrorism Act in over 100 cases to manage public order, undermining Kenya’s criminal justice system. The Law Society of Kenya and Vocal Africa’s CEO, Hussein Khalid, hailed the court’s ruling as a victory for constitutional rights, emphasizing that activists are not terrorists.
Mwangi, widely known as “The People’s Watchman” on social media platform X, where he has 2 million followers, has a long history of activism. His work documenting the 2007 post-election violence brought him global recognition, and he has since been a vocal critic of successive Kenyan governments. Past protests led by Mwangi include symbolic acts like bringing blood-covered piglets to parliament in 2013 to protest MPs’ pay increases and calling for coffins to be brought to the streets in 2024 to symbolize deaths caused by excessive taxation and police violence. His recent arrest follows a pattern of detentions, including one in Tanzania in May 2025, where he was expelled for supporting an opposition leader’s trial.
The case has reignited debates about freedom of expression and the government’s handling of dissent in Kenya. Critics, including Siaya Governor James Orengo, have drawn parallels to historical state intimidation tactics used against figures like Raila Odinga and Kenneth Matiba. As the August 21 mention date approaches, Mwangi’s case continues to spotlight tensions between Kenya’s government and its activists, with many calling for accountability and an end to perceived abuses of legal processes.
On Monday, July 21, 2025, prominent Kenyan human rights activist and former photojournalist Boniface Mwangi was released on a KSh 1 million personal bond by the Kahawa Law Courts in Nairobi following his arrest on Saturday, July 19. Mwangi faced charges of unlawful possession of ammunition, specifically three teargas canisters and one 7.62mm blank round, found during a police raid on his office at Mageuzi Hub in Nairobi. The charges were filed under the Firearms Act, and Mwangi pleaded not guilty to both counts. The court’s decision to grant bail came after the prosecution dropped initial terrorism-related allegations, sparking widespread public attention and criticism from human rights organizations.
Mwangi’s arrest took place at his home in Lukenya, Machakos County, where detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations conducted a search, seizing various items including two mobile phones, a laptop, nine external hard drives, company seals for Brave Media Ltd and Courage Ltd, six cheque books, and stamp duty documents. A subsequent search at his Mageuzi Hub office uncovered the teargas canisters and blank ammunition, which formed the basis of the charges. Initially, authorities claimed Mwangi was linked to facilitating terrorist activities during the June 25, 2025, anti-government protests, which resulted in significant violence, property damage, and loss of life. However, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions opted to pursue lesser charges, a move Mwangi’s legal team described as evidence of a weak case.
Principal Magistrate Gideon Kiage, presiding over the case, ruled that there were no compelling reasons to detain Mwangi pending trial, noting his well-known status and fixed place of abode. The court ordered his release on a personal bond of KSh 1 million with one surety of a similar amount. Additionally, Kiage barred police from re-arresting Mwangi within court premises or in relation to the ongoing case until its conclusion. The magistrate also directed the prosecution to analyze the seized items and return any not relevant to the case by August 21, 2025, when the matter is scheduled for mention.
Mwangi’s legal team, led by Senior Counsel Martha Karua and including lawyers Ndegwa Njiru and Mwaura Kabta, vice president of the Law Society of Kenya, requested that the case be transferred to Milimani Law Courts, arguing that the charges did not fall under terrorism-related offenses typically handled at Kahawa. The team also highlighted the seizure of personal items, such as a MacBook Pro laptop and mobile phones belonging to Mwangi’s children, urging their immediate return as they were unrelated to the charges. Mwangi himself recounted the traumatic nature of his arrest, describing how officers entered his home in shoes and surrounded him, triggering memories of a previous detention in Tanzania where he faced torture.
In court, Mwangi remained defiant, holding a Kenyan flag and chanting anti-government slogans, including “Ruto must go,” which resonated with supporters who filled the courtroom and sang the national anthem in solidarity. Outside, Mwangi addressed journalists and supporters, dismissing the charges as baseless and accusing the government of attempting to silence dissent. He denied ever working with “goons” and asserted that public discontent with President William Ruto’s administration was organic, not manufactured.
The case has drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups and civil society. A coalition of 37 organizations, including the Kenya Human Rights Commission and Amnesty International, condemned Mwangi’s arrest as part of a broader effort to intimidate activists and suppress lawful dissent. They described the initial terrorism allegations as unjustified and pointed to a pattern of misusing the Prevention of Terrorism Act in over 100 cases to manage public order, undermining Kenya’s criminal justice system. The Law Society of Kenya and Vocal Africa’s CEO, Hussein Khalid, hailed the court’s ruling as a victory for constitutional rights, emphasizing that activists are not terrorists.
Mwangi, widely known as “The People’s Watchman” on social media platform X, where he has 2 million followers, has a long history of activism. His work documenting the 2007 post-election violence brought him global recognition, and he has since been a vocal critic of successive Kenyan governments. Past protests led by Mwangi include symbolic acts like bringing blood-covered piglets to parliament in 2013 to protest MPs’ pay increases and calling for coffins to be brought to the streets in 2024 to symbolize deaths caused by excessive taxation and police violence. His recent arrest follows a pattern of detentions, including one in Tanzania in May 2025, where he was expelled for supporting an opposition leader’s trial.
The case has reignited debates about freedom of expression and the government’s handling of dissent in Kenya. Critics, including Siaya Governor James Orengo, have drawn parallels to historical state intimidation tactics used against figures like Raila Odinga and Kenneth Matiba. As the August 21 mention date approaches, Mwangi’s case continues to spotlight tensions between Kenya’s government and its activists, with many calling for accountability and an end to perceived abuses of legal processes.