Kenya has dropped terrorism charges against activist Boniface Mwangi, replacing them with a lesser count of unlawful possession of ammunition.
Mwangi was arrested Saturday and accused of facilitating terrorist acts—a claim he denied, declaring, “I am not a terrorist,” on social media. He appeared in a Nairobi court Monday, chanting “Ruto Must Go,” as supporters cheered and rights groups decried the government’s crackdown on dissent.
Prosecutors alleged Mwangi possessed three tear gas canisters and a round of blank ammunition without authorisation. He pleaded not guilty and was released on a one-million-shilling ($7,000) bond.
Outside court, Mwangi claimed President William Ruto feared Kenya’s youth, who have taken to the streets demanding change. “Our president thinks people are being paid to protest,” he said. “People hate Ruto for free.”
His arrest sparked outrage online under the hashtag #FreeBonifaceMwangi and drew swift condemnation from human rights organisations.
A coalition of groups welcomed the dropped terror charges but warned against their continued use in over 100 protest-related cases.
They urged authorities to “abandon this dangerous approach to managing public dissent.” Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said last week that 71 people face terrorism-related charges from recent protests.
The Director of Public Prosecutions defended the charges, saying they met legal thresholds and weren’t aimed at silencing political expression. Police had accused Mwangi of funding “goons” to stir violence during anti-government demonstrations in June and July.
Mwangi, a longtime critic of state abuses, has faced multiple arrests in Kenya and was recently detained in Tanzania during a human rights trial. He and Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire allege they were tortured and sexually abused by Tanzanian police before being deported.
Both have taken legal action at the East African Court of Justice. At least 100 protesters have reportedly died in Kenya’s unrest, though the government claims 42 fatalities.
