Rights Activist Boniface Mwangi
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Rights activist Boniface Mwangi was arrested and detained at Kamukunji Police Station in Nairobi following an early morning raid on his residence on Sunday.
The incident began around 7:15 AM when six unidentified individuals forcibly removed Mwangi from his home, known as Courage Base, in Machakos County. His wife Njeri Mwangi and fellow activists promptly raised alarm about his apprehension, with initial reports indicating uncertainty about both his captors and whereabouts. Vocal Africa Chief Executive Hussein Khalid suggests that the individuals responsible for Mwangi's detention are likely investigators from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Sources confirm that Mwangi was transported approximately 35 kilometers to Kamukunji Police Station, with authorities deliberately selecting this location to minimize potential protests from his supporters. The arrest appears to be connected to Mwangi's recent online campaign dubbed "OccupyStanchart." Prior to his detention, he had encouraged his followers to utilize the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon 2024 as a platform for expressing dissatisfaction with the government. His social media posts detailed specific instructions for participants, including wearing national colors, carrying Kenyan flags, and displaying bandanas with the message "#RutoMustGo."
The activist emphasized that the demonstration would commemorate victims of police brutality from recent protests, which reportedly resulted in over 60 fatalities. According to Mwangi's legal representative, authorities intend to charge him with incitement to violence. Under Section 96 of the Penal Code, such charges carry a potential prison term of up to five years for individuals who publish or utter words calculated to cause death, physical injury, property damage, or promote disobedience of written law.
Additionally, Section 391 criminalizes the act of inciting others to commit offenses. This incident follows a previous confrontation last month when human rights activists successfully prevented police from arresting Mwangi during a protest in Nairobi's Central Business District. At that time, he was participating in a march to deliver a petition regarding missing persons to the president's office at Harambee House when plainclothes officers attempted to apprehend him.