This afternoon, July 26th, Boniface Mwangi and four other political activists have been presented at Milimani Law Courts. They were being charged over the publication of false information, taking part in unlawful assembly, and creating a disturbance in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace.
The prosecution was seeking to detain them, for a further 21 days. In a miscellaneous application filed in court, the trial sought custodial orders, to complete a probe into their alleged crimes.
The Charges
The 5: Boniface Mwangi, Albert Wambugu, Robert Otieno, Pablo Chacha, and Erot Franco appeared before Milimani Principal Magistrate, Gilbert Shikwe, on Friday.
The State prosecutor, Judy Koech, said, “..On Thursday, July 25, 2024, at around 11:30 am or thereabout at CBD, along Koinange Street, the five caused a breach of peace.”
The DCI added that “.. Mwangi and the others inconvenienced other road users by blocking the road by placing a white coffin and seven white crosses with names inscribed on them.”
“The 5 were distributing t-shirts and placards allegedly labeled with incitement words.” There were also allegations of incitement through their social media posts meant to radicalize their followers into violence and disobedience.
The Court’s Decision
Magistrate Gilbert Shikwe delivered his ruling at around 2.30 pm, freeing the suspects on Kshs. 20, 000 cash bail each. The court said there were no compelling reasons to keep them in custody for 21 days as their mobile phones had been confiscated by the police. He emphasized the importance of balancing the investigation process with the suspects’ rights.
Boniface Mwangi has been at the forefront of calling out the government over extra-judicial killings, corruption, and abuse of office. His activism style has never sat well with government agencies who consider him a paid piper for foreign governments. His whistle-blowing antics have yielded results and enjoy a majority following with patriots.
What Boniface Mwangi Said After Relase
He took to social media after his release to urge Kenyans not to relent and take it upon themselves to put their local leaders to task as well.
“Freedom is sweet and precious. Thank you all for your voices. The political class is and will continue to fight back against those who want a better Kenya. The beneficiaries of the corruption in Kenya will join hands to malign active citizens. They will come after us with everything they’ve got. This isn’t over.”
“Please note, the state will not only use the normal channels for the witch-hunts, they will also send goons, both private and government to us. Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU), and the Operation Support Unit (OSU) are being used to extrajudicially abduct, and even kill people. They’re trained masters of capture, and kill and that is what they will do. Stay safe good people, don’t let your guard down!”
“Finally, take this fight also to your Governors, Senators, MPs, and MCAs, and even to the local police stations that oppress young people. Demand free national identity cards without an expiry date, locate your Constituency Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) office and then ensure that you’re registered to vote. This fight will not be a sprint but a marathon, so be ready to be a Kipchoge, a marathon champion, because eventually, we are going to win this! #TeamCourage.”
The gallant activist and the other four activists arrested together still have a date with the courts. This has reignited the debate on democracy, human rights, activism, and unlawful detentions that Kenyan governments have struggled to respect since independence.
