Prominent activist and human rights defender Boniface Mwangi luggage

By Kimberly Kalusi

Prominent activist and human rights defender Boniface Mwangi has claimed that a bullet casing was planted in his travel bag at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in what he describes as an escalating threat to his life and an attempt to frame him.

In a detailed public statement released on Wednesday, Mwangi recounted how, on October 9, 2025, he discovered a used bullet casing tucked among his clothes after flying from Nairobi to Kilifi. He says his bag had briefly been taken from him before boarding the flight.

“The spent cartridge was slipped into my bag during the brief moment that it was not in my possession,” Mwangi wrote. “There is only one way of interpreting this incident — a direct threat to my life.”

The activist said he refrained from reporting the matter to police after being advised by lawyers and fellow human rights defenders that the ammunition could have been planted to incriminate him, given that he is already facing trumped-up charges for possession of ammunition.

Instead, he says, he reported the matter to a reputable human rights organization, took photos, and shared the evidence with his legal team “in case of any eventuality.”

He wrote on his social media that on October 9th 2025, something very disturbing happened as I was traveling to Kilifi County. I had packed my own carry-on bag, passed through two security checks at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Nairobi, and then just before boarding, my bag was taken away and I was issued with a luggage slip. I arrived safely at Malindi Airport and retrieved my bag.

While on my way to the hotel, I opened my bag to get a power bank and discovered a used round of ammunition tucked in between my clothes. The bullet casing was on top of a pair of shorts that had been ironed and brought to me by my daughter the previous night, after which I placed them in my bag.

The carry-on is used frequently by our family as a regular travel bag. The spent cartridge was slipped into my bag during the brief moment that it was not in my possession. There is only one way of interpreting this incident; a direct threat to my life.

He added that he considered reporting the matter at Kilifi Police Station immediately, but multiple lawyers and human rights defenders advised against it. They believe the ammunition may have been planted to incriminate me, especially since I’m already facing trumped-up charges for possession of ammunition.

Reporting it might have led to my arrest under the pretext of further “investigations.” Like the majority of Kenyans, l do not trust the police. For safety, I immediately reported it to a reputable human rights organization, took photos, and recorded a video, which l sent to some trusted people and my legal team, in case of any eventuality.

I have decided to take the bold decision to share this latest threat with the country, regardless of any potential consequences, for it is our silence that emboldens those intent on doing us harm. It is clear that my life is in danger, and has been for quite some time now.

The attempts to intimidate me are becoming more brazen and far more direct, however. I appear to have been singled out for harassment since no other Kenyan, in recent times, has experienced so many arrests, targeted character assassination, and physical attacks as I have.

Mwangi, who has for years been a fierce critic of successive governments, accused the current administration of intensifying harassment and intimidation against him.

“Threats are not new to me and my family, but the current regime has taken it to a new low,” he stated. “It is clear that my life is in danger, and the attempts to intimidate me are becoming more brazen.”

He detailed multiple incidents, including alleged surveillance, arrests, and abduction attempts, which he says are part of a broader plan to silence dissent.

Since June 2024, I have been arrested five times. I also escaped an attempted abduction outside the City Mortuary on June 21st, 2024. On July 20th, 2024, there was an attempted raid on my office by goons on motorbikes, who recorded videos and posted them on social media, while threatening to invade my home as well. Police did not bother to open an investigation.

He added that on September 24th, 2024, I was standing outside Harambee House when a team of police officers and armed men in plain clothes tried to grab me. I was saved by fellow human rights defenders. A month later, on October 27th, 2024, l was arrested by police at my home, detained at Kamkunji Police Station for a night, and afterward released without charges.

Over the past year, l have been explicitly targeted and demonized by the ruling regime. They frequently sponsor smear campaigns to manufacture anger and rage against me. Posters and videos are circulated blaming me for extrajudicial killings that have been perpetrated by the state. Social media accounts are created just to flood my comments section immediately after l post anything, and trolls attack me constantly, some even demanding that l should be killed. They don’t even use pseudonyms to make those threats but I don’t bother to report them, because l know they work for the regime and nothing will be done.

“My communications are being monitored and disrupted. As a movement, we have experienced enforced internet disruptions during key mobilization events. We have had our events cancelled without any explanation, and been denied permission to hold events in public spaces. Digital and physical surveillance shadows us everywhere we go,” he said

Mwangi also claimed his communication devices were cloned by security agencies and that his movements are constantly monitored. He alleged that smear campaigns, social media trolling, and attempts to sabotage his finances are part of a coordinated effort to discredit him.

The activist, who has announced plans to vie for the presidency, likened his persecution to that faced by other East African opposition figures, including Tanzania’s Tundu Lissu and Uganda’s Kizza Besigye.

“They have billions and bullets, but we have truth, people power, and God — and that combination is unstoppable,” Mwangi declared. “If anything happens to me, look no further than the State.”

Mwangi’s claims come amid rising concern over human rights violations and police brutality in Kenya. The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) recorded 159 cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in 2024, and dozens more this year.

Authorities have not responded to Mwangi’s latest allegations. However, his post has drawn wide attention online, with supporters calling for his protection and others urging an independent investigation into the alleged incident at JKIA.

“I will never stop fighting for a better Kenya,” Mwangi concluded. “True courage is not the absence of fear — it is the ability to press forward in spite of it.”