Kenya Drops Terrorism Charges Against Activist Boniface Mwangi, Replaced with Ammunition Possession

Activist Boniface Mwangi's Charges

• 🇰🇪 Prominent Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi faced accusations of facilitating terrorist acts.
• 💡 A coalition of 37 civil rights organizations condemned the move as state intimidation and a systematic crackdown on dissent.
• ✅ Following his release, organizations expressed relief, calling the court's decision a victory for the constitution over police overreach.

Shift in Charges and Allegations

• ⚖️ The prosecution dropped the terrorism-related charges, opting instead for unlawful possession of ammunition (tasers and blanks).
• 🎯 Mwangi denies these accusations, which are considered minor offenses compared to the previous terrorism charges.
• ✊ These charges are linked to a demonstration on June 25th, protesting a finance bill.

Context of Protests and Police Action

• 🚶‍♂️ Mwangi had called citizens to protest against a finance bill, commemorating a previous demonstration where protesters briefly controlled the Kenyan Parliament.
• 🚨 During past demonstrations, police shot at protesters, resulting in 19 deaths and hundreds injured.
• 💔 More than 100 people have since been killed by police during successive waves of demonstrations.
• 🗣️ Activists assert that the government uses such tactics to silence dissent and critics, vowing to continue their work protecting the constitution and human rights.