Pan-African Coalition condemns Boniface Mwangi's arrest, crackdown on protesters

A coalition of Pan-African organisations and human rights defenders has condemned the Kenyan government over what they describe as a dangerous slide into authoritarianism.

They highlighted growing concerns over arbitrary arrests, police brutality, and the weaponization of the justice system targeting youth and activists.

This follows the arrest of activist Boniface Mwangi on Saturday.

DCI boss Amin Mohammed confirmed the arrest of the activist, saying it is linked to allegations of facilitating terrorist activities during the protests held on June 25.

Mwangi is currently being held at Pangani Police Station and will be arraigned on Monday, July 21. 

According to the Coalition, Mwangi's office, Mageuzi Hub, was also raided by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations on what they termed as terrorism allegations.

However, the legal teams and civil society groups have disputed the legality of the search, stating that no court-authorized warrant existed.

This, they argued, points to a growing pattern of using anti-terror laws to silence dissent.

“This is a full-scale assault on Kenya’s democracy,” the coalition declared. “What began as targeted persecution of young protesters demanding accountability has metastasized," the statement read.

The Coalition said more than 150 young Kenyans have been wrongfully charged and are facing cash bail demands ranging from Sh30,000 to Sh300,000.

In Naivasha alone, 20 youths are reportedly being held without legal access.

The statement also detailed cases of minors with gunshot wounds being detained and students arrested while heading home from school. 

Criticism was also leveled at the government for issuing contradictory directives on police conduct.

According to the coalition, “shoot-to-kill” and “shoot-to-maim” orders have been publicly promoted by top government officials, including the President, the Interior Cabinet Secretary, and the Chair of the Defense Committee in Parliament.

They further faulted the government of failing to act against individuals who allegedly mobilised gangs to attack peaceful protesters and raid organisations such as the Kenya Human Rights Commission.

The coalition expressed alarm at what it termed a coordinated regional strategy involving Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania to repress dissent across borders.

It cited several examples, including the illegal rendition of Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi-Tsehai, the abduction of Ugandan politician Kizza Besigye, and the deportation of Kenyan legal experts and activists from Tanzania.

“This is not just a Kenyan crisis. It is a continental emergency. What happens in Kenya reverberates throughout Africa when one democracy falls, we all become vulnerable,” the coalition warned.  

The statement was co-signed by over 30 civil society organizations and dozens of prominent individuals, including Chief Justice Emeritus Willy Mutunga and PLP party leader Martha Karua.

They called for an immediate end to politically motivated prosecutions, judicial independence, and protection for human rights defenders.