Boniface Mwangi, vocal critic of police brutality, released on bail

Mwangi has emerged as a leading voice in the national outcry following the death of blogger Albert Ojwang while in police custody in June. The incident reignited public anger over systemic police abuse, sparking widespread protests across several towns. At least 50 demonstrators—many of whom were youth—were killed during the ensuing crackdown, deepening the crisis and drawing condemnation from rights groups both locally and internationally.

The chargesheet showed Mwangi was found with unlawful possession of an unused tear gas canister and a 7.62mm blank round.

The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and opposition leaders described the charges as trumped-up, intended to silence his criticism of the government.
"President William Ruto's regime must end its alarming tactic of slapping activists and protesters, who are resisting authoritarianism, with trumped-up terrorism-related charges," KHRC said in a statement.

Mwangi's arrest occurred just a day after he and Ugandan journalist and lawyer Agather Atuhaire filed a human rights lawsuit against the governments of Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania in the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) in Arusha.

The two are accusing the Tanzanian government of abduction, torture and illegal deportation. Tanzanian police arrested both Mwangi and Atuhaire in a hotel in Dar es Salaam, where they had traveled intending to attend the trial of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is facing treason charges.