Item 1 of 2 Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi, who was detained upon arrival in Dar es Salaam to attend the first court appearance of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, and later released, reacts at a press conference in Nairobi, Kenya June 2, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File Photo

[1/2] Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi, who was detained upon arrival in Dar es Salaam to attend the first court appearance of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, and later released, reacts at a press conference in Nairobi, Kenya June 2, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab

NAIROBI, July 20 (Reuters) – Kenyan police have arrested prominent human rights activist Boniface Mwangi and plan to arraign him on Monday on suspicion of facilitating “terrorist acts” linked to deadly anti-government protests last month, police said on Sunday.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said on X that detectives had arrested Mwangi at his home in Machakos County on Saturday and had seized “two unused tear gas canisters and one 7.62mm blank round”, along with two mobile phones, a laptop and notebooks.

In addition to the terrorism charges, Mwangi is also due to be arraigned for unlawful possession of ammunition, the X post said.

A representative for Mwangi could not immediately be reached for comment.

Hundreds of Kenyans took to the streets last month following the death in police custody of political blogger Albert Ojwang – reigniting a protest movement fuelled by anger over the cost of living and what activists say is police brutality and corruption.

The government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights said 19 people were killed in the protests on June 25 that DCI referred to in its post about Mwangi. Another 31 people died when protests flared again on July 7, the commission said.

The protesters are mostly young adults desperate for job opportunities who organise through social media channels.

Mwangi is a well-known activist who once ran for parliament on an anti-corruption platform.

In May, he was arrested and deported from neighbouring Tanzania, where he had travelled to observe a hearing in a treason case against detained opposition leader Tundu Lissu.

He said afterwards that members of the Tanzanian security forces had sexually assaulted him during his detention, and on Friday he filed a complaint at the East African Court of Justice in connection with those allegations.

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It is one of the highest reported death tolls among repeated recent cases in which people have been killed while looking for aid.

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