DCI says it recovered ammunition, tear gas during raid on Boniface Mwangi’s office
DCI confirmed that the activist is being held at Pangani Police Station as he undergoes processing ahead of the arraignment scheduled for Monday.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) says that it has recovered two unused tear gas canisters and one 7.62mm blank round following the arrest of activist Boniface Mwangi over alleged facilitation of terrorist activities during the June 25, 2025, protests.
In a statement on Sunday, officers said the activist was also found in possession of multiple electronic devices and company documents during a subsequent search at his Mageuzi Hub office in Nairobi.
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Mwangi was arrested on Saturday, July 19, 2025, by detectives at his residence in Lukenya, Machakos County. Officers noted that they seized two mobile phones, a laptop and several notebooks from his house.
He was then taken to his Mageuzi Hub office at Metropolitan Court along Argwings Kodhek Road, where a detailed search allegedly led to the recovery of nine assorted external hard drives, two laptops, company seals for Brave Media Ltd and Courage Ltd, a company stamp, six cheque books, copies of stamp duty documents, the two unused tear gas canisters and one 7.62mm blank round.
DCI confirmed that the activist is being held at Pangani Police Station as he undergoes processing ahead of an arraignment scheduled for Monday. Police said he faces charges relating to facilitation of terrorist acts and unlawful possession of ammunition.
“Mwangi is currently in custody at Pangani Police Station, where he is undergoing processing to be arraigned tomorrow, Monday, July 21, 2025, for offences related to facilitation of terrorist acts and unlawful possession of ammunition,” DCI said.
Mwangi’s arrest comes after the government recently revealed that 50 people are currently under investigation by the Serious Crimes Investigations Unit, while 71 cases are being handled by the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) for offences related to acts of terrorism following demonstrations that hit multiple parts of the country on June 25 and July 7, 2025.
According to Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, the suspects are part of what the government describes as ‘coordinated criminal groups’ responsible for widespread violence and destruction.
He disclosed that close to 1,500 suspects had been arrested across the country and were facing charges including terrorism, murder, robbery with violence, sexual assault, arson, malicious property damage and targeted attacks on strategic infrastructure.
“The anarchists targeted police stations, government offices, vehicles, and a hospital. This disturbing trend of targeting police stations, stealing firearms and ammunition, points to a coordinated attempt to subvert the state’s ability to guarantee law, order, and public safety,” Murkomen said.
“When a police post or station is raided or razed, it leaves the public at the mercy of dangerous criminals.”
The CS condemned the acts, saying the scale of violence witnessed was unprecedented.
“It is incumbent upon us, therefore, to nip it in the bud with the full force of the law. This is what our people expect of the government, and this is what the government will, and must do,” he said.
Human rights activists have, however, demanded the immediate release of Mwangi, accusing the state of using false terrorism charges to silence dissent.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) described his arrest as part of a broader pattern of using the justice system to intimidate protesters and human rights defenders.
“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. This troubling escalation is evident in today’s abduction of Boniface Mwangi and reports that the DCI is planning to charge him with terrorism. The DCI must immediately release Mwangi and drop all malicious charges,” the Commission said.
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