
Kenya activist gets bail after arrest over illegal possession of ammunition
Boniface Mwangi was charged by the police on Monday, two days after he was arrested and accused of possessing unused tear gas canisters, a '7.62mm blank round', two mobile phones, a laptop and notebooks.
The courtroom was packed with hundreds of activists, some wearing Kenyan flags. 'They have no evidence,' Mwangi told reporters, describing his prosecution as 'a big shame'.
His lawyer told Reuters news agency he was grateful to the court for agreeing to release Mwangi on bail.
Kenya has been facing mass antigovernment protests across the country since last year – first against tax increases in a finance bill and later to demand the resignation of President William Ruto.
Since the protests broke out, police have been accused of human rights abuses, including allegations of government critics and activists being abducted and tortured.
Rights groups said more than 100 people have been killed in the protests, which have been harshly suppressed.
This month, at least 31 people were killed and more than 100 injured in a government crackdown on a protest. In June, at least 19 people were killed in a similar demonstration against Ruto.
Police accused Mwangi, a former photojournalist, of 'facilitating terrorist acts' during the June protests and arrested him on Saturday. The activist denied the charges, saying in a social media post shared by his supporters: 'I am not a terrorist.'
His arrest triggered a wave of condemnation online with the hashtag #FreeBonifaceMwangi going viral and rights groups condemning it.
The search warrant police used to raid Mwangi's home, which an ally shared with journalists, accused the campaigner of having paid 'goons' to stoke unrest at last month's protests.
However, 37 rights organisations and dozens of activists said they have not yet managed to prove that a judge had issued that warrant.
Mwangi's arrest on 'unjustified terrorism allegations' represents an abuse of the justice system to crush the opposition, the organisations said in a joint statement.
'What began as targeted persecution of young protesters demanding accountability has metastasized into a full-scale assault on Kenya's democracy,' the groups said.
In June last year, Al Jazeera's digital documentary strand Close Up profiled Mwangi during a ferocious police crackdown. He then said his nickname online was the 'People's Watchman' because he was striving to get justice for the families of protesters killed by police.
Mwangi, who once ran for parliament on an anti-corruption platform, has been arrested multiple times in Kenya.
He was arrested on May 19 this year in Dar-es-Salaam, neighbouring Tanzania's largest city, where he had travelled to support treason-accused Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
Both Mwangi and a fellow detainee, award-winning Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire, accused the Tanzanian police of torturing and sexually abusing them while they were in custody.
The pair have brought a case before the East African Court of Justice.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Al Jazeera
18 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Zelenskyy promises new bill amid growing pressure over anticorruption law
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has promised to introduce new legislation amid continuing protests and international criticism over a law passed earlier this week that critics say undermines Ukraine's fight against corruption. The controversial law, passed on Tuesday, places the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) under the direct authority of the country's prosecutor general – an official appointed by the president. Critics say the law strips the agencies of their independence and could allow political interference. While Zelenskyy has defended the law as a necessary response to suspected 'Russian influence' within the agencies, European Union officials and rights groups say that it contains no specific provisions to target Kremlin-linked operatives and warn it could derail any Ukrainian accession bid to the European Union. 'I have analysed all concerns,' Zelenskyy wrote on X following a meeting with top government and law enforcement officials. Writing about the proposal of the new bill, he said: 'We will prepare and submit a bill to the Verkhovna Rada [parliament] that ensures the strength of the rule-of-law system. There will be no Russian influence or interference … and all the norms for the independence of anti-corruption institutions will be in place.' Public anger and European backlash On Tuesday night, thousands of Ukrainians rallied in Kyiv and other major cities in rare wartime protests. More than 1,000 demonstrators defied martial law, which bans large public gatherings, to express their anger at the government, while on Wednesday, more protests took place in the capital. 'This is complete nonsense from the president's office,' 20-year-old student Solomiia Telishevska told the news agency Reuters, referring to the law signed by Zelenskyy on Tuesday. 'This contradicts what we are fighting for and what we are striving for, namely to [join] the European Union.' Cleaning up systemic corruption has long been a core requirement for Ukraine's EU membership and for unlocking billions in foreign aid. The law's passage risks alienating Kyiv's Western allies as the war grinds on. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has demanded 'explanations' from Zelenskyy, with a spokesperson confirming on Wednesday that she conveyed 'strong concerns about the consequences of the amendments'. Germany's Johann Wadephul, deputy leader of the Christian Democratic Union, warned on X that the restrictions were 'hampering Ukraine's path to the EU'. Anticorruption bodies targeted The storm erupted days after law enforcement raided NABU offices and arrested an employee on suspicion of spying for Russia. Another employee was accused of illegal business ties to Moscow. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) agency also carried out searches and arrests related to other alleged infractions, including a traffic incident. Zelenskyy suggested these incidents justified the law passed on Tuesday, but Ukrainian analysts have warned the changes could erode public trust in Zelenskyy's leadership during a critical phase of the war. NABU was created in 2015 after Ukraine's 2014 pro-European revolution to tackle deep-rooted government corruption. The agency has investigated multiple high-profile cases, including figures close to Zelenskyy's administration. Transparency International Ukraine denounced the raids as 'an attempt by the authorities to undermine the independence of Ukraine's post-Revolution of Dignity anti-corruption institutions'. Some Ukrainians believe the government is protecting loyal insiders at the expense of transparency. 'Those who swore to protect the laws and the constitution have instead chosen to shield their inner circle, even at the expense of Ukrainian democracy,' said veteran Oleh Symoroz, who lost both legs in 2022 fighting Russian forces. The political firestorm risks creating deeper rifts within Ukraine at a time when unity is vital in Kyiv's war against Russia. Oleksandra Matviichuk, head of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Center for Civil Liberties, warned the law could play directly into the Kremlin's hands. 'This is a gift to Putin,' she said. Russian officials have already seized on the controversy. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov remarked there was 'a lot of corruption' when asked about the protests in Kyiv.


Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Al Jazeera
Why is Columbia University expelling pro-Palestine students?
The United States's prestigious Columbia University has punished nearly 80 students who took part in protests against Israel's war on Gaza with expulsions, one-to-three-year suspensions, and degree revocations. The University's Judicial Board stated on Tuesday that it had completed disciplinary hearings for the May 7, 2025, Butler Library demonstration on its campus and the May 31, 2024, 'Revolt for Rafah' encampment during the university's annual alumni weekend. In 2024, pro-Palestinian student encampments at Columbia University became a flashpoint for a global wave of campus protests against Israel's war in Gaza. The movement drew national attention before university administrators called NYPD officers to dismantle the camps, resulting in dozens of arrests. 'Suspension from Columbia for protesting genocide is the highest honour,' said Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), an umbrella coalition of student groups, in a post on X. 'We reject that Columbia has any reputation worth upholding and we categorically state that we do not wish to uphold it,' the student body said. So, why has Columbia expelled these students? And why has the Trump administration clamped down on universities? What has happened? Columbia University has disciplined nearly 80 students for their participation in pro-Palestinian protests – to 'separate them from the University'. The disciplinary action follows a series of demonstrations on campus, including a student-led occupation of Butler Library during final exams on May 7 earlier this year. The NYPD arrested 78 individuals that day. The protests are part of a call for the university to divest from companies linked to the Israeli military, cut all financial ties with Israel, and express solidarity with Palestinians amid the continuing war in Gaza. According to student organisers, the suspended students took part in a 'peaceful teach-in' which included readings and discussions about Palestinian writer and activist Basil al-Araj, killed by Israeli forces in 2017. The mass disciplinary action, described as the biggest of its kind in Columbia's history, has sparked backlash from civil liberties groups and fellow students. Organisers argue the crackdown is part of a broader effort to suppress pro-Palestinian activism on US campuses and have linked it to a pending agreement between Columbia and Trump administration officials. The University's student newspaper, Columbia Spectator, reported that the majority of students received a two-year suspension. The students have reportedly been asked to apologise to the university before they can be allowed to return to campus. Earlier this year, the Trump administration announced it would withhold approximately $400m in funding for Columbia University, citing the institution's alleged failure to adequately address anti-Semitism amid pro-Palestinian protests on campus. That move prompted Columbia to concede to a list of demands laid down by the government in return for negotiations to reinstate its funding. Among other concessions, the university agreed to ban face masks and to empower 36 campus police officers with special powers to arrest students. What has Columbia said? In a statement published on Tuesday, the University stated that the disruption at Butler Library during reading period had affected hundreds of students and subsequently led to the interim suspension of Columbia participants. The University said sanctions would include probation, suspensions ranging from one year to three years, degree revocations, and expulsions. It did not state how many faced each of these sanctions, nor did it reveal any of the students' identities, citing student privacy. 'Our institution must focus on delivering on its academic mission for our community. And to create a thriving academic community, there must be respect for each other and the institution's fundamental work, policies, and rules,' the statement noted. 'Disruptions to academic activities are in violation of University policies and Rules, and such violations will necessarily generate consequences.' How have students responded? News of the suspensions and expulsions came on the same day that Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University protest leader targeted for deportation by President Donald Trump, met with lawmakers in Washington, DC, just over a month after the 30-year-old, a legal permanent resident of the United States, was released from immigration custody in Louisiana. Khalil continues to face deportation under the Trump administration, which has relied on an obscure provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 in its attempts to expel international students involved in pro-Palestinian advocacy. In response to the suspensions and expulsion announced by Columbia on Tuesday, the student activist group Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), an umbrella coalition of student groups, noted that while 'the US and Israel starve 2.1 million Gazans to death, Columbia has worked diligently with [Trump's administration] to suspend dozens of students for pro-Palestine activism'. The group noted the suspensions were the highest ever for a single political protest in Columbia's history and 'hugely exceed sentencing precedent for teach-ins or non-Palestine-related building occupations'. 'Students remain committed to ending US- and Columbia-backed Israeli genocide regardless of the school's sanctions,' the student body said in its statement. Quoting a testimony from students' July disciplinary hearings, the group reiterated: 'Every university in Gaza has been destroyed. Hundreds of academics have been killed. Books and archives have been incinerated. Entire families have been erased from the civil registry. This is not a war. It is a campaign of erasure.' 'We will not be deterred. We are committed to the struggle for Palestinian liberation,' the statement quoted students in conclusion. Why has Trump clamped down on universities? The antiwar protests against Israel's war on Gaza, which spread across US university campuses from Columbia and UCLA to Harvard, last year have drawn comparisons with the anti-Vietnam War era, when student activism directly challenged US foreign policy. Trump has capitalised on this by painting students as part of a left-wing, anti-Semitic revolt and clamping down on universities, particularly 'elite' institutions. The administration argues that universities have failed to protect Jewish students from harassment and violence during demonstrations, citing incidents of encampments and chants deemed anti-Semitic. Since early 2025, the administration has targeted more than 50 universities, including Columbia, with investigations by the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. This has been coupled with executive orders and actions, such as freezing billions in federal research grants and threatening to revoke tax-exempt status or accreditation, as seen in demands placed on Harvard and Columbia. Harvard's rejection of demands that its programmes be audited for 'ideological capture' led to billions of dollars in federal funding being frozen. The administration also threatened to bar international students from Harvard, citing 'national security' and high campus crime rates, which underscores the White House's chokehold over the universities. Harvard has sued the administration and secured a federal judge's temporary block on the order to bar international students. The policies under the Trump administration also reflect its general opposition to perceived liberal biases in higher education, as it aims to dismantle 'woke' culture and promote conservative values. It has also targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes operated by universities and other workplaces, accusing them of promoting division and 'reverse discrimination'.


Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Al Jazeera
Columbia University suspends, expels nearly 80 students over Gaza protests
Columbia University in the United States has imposed severe punishments, including expulsion, suspension from courses and revocation of academic degrees, on dozens of students who participated in protests against Israel's war on Gaza. The student activist group Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), which has called for the school to cut all financial ties with Israel, said in a statement that nearly 80 students have now been either expelled or suspended for up to three years over their involvement in antiwar protests. On Tuesday, Columbia said in a statement that its latest punishment of students relates to 'disruption of Butler Library in May 2025 and the encampment during Alumni Weekend in spring 2024″. 'Disruptions to academic activities are in violation of University policies and rules, and such violations will necessarily generate consequences,' the university wrote. The CUAD group said the university's sanctions on students 'hugely exceed precedent for teach-ins or non-Palestine-related building occupations'. 'We will not be deterred. We are committed to the struggle for Palestinian liberation,' the group added. The pro-Palestinian student encampments at Columbia University in 2024 helped ignite a global movement against Israel's unrelenting war on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The protest sites were eventually broken up when Columbia University allowed hundreds of New York City police officers on campus, leading to dozens of arrests. Despite the university's harsh crackdowns, student protesters occupied the Butler Library during final exams in May this year, demanding divestment from companies linked to the Israeli military and expressing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Columbia University's Judicial Board confirmed it issued expulsions, suspensions and degree revocations after what it called a disruption during 'reading period'. It did not say how many students were expelled but said that this was 'the final set of findings from that period'. The Ivy League university is in negotiations with US President Donald Trump's administration to restore some $400m in federal funding. The Trump administration cut funds to the New York City-based institution over what it claimed were failures to 'meaningfully protect Jewish students against severe and pervasive harassment'. Columbia's acting president, Claire Shipman, a former trustee, was booed by students during a May graduation ceremony for her role in cracking down on pro-Palestinian protests. Fellow Ivy League institution Harvard University, which has also been targeted with billions in funding cuts by the government, has pushed back against pressure to change its policies by taking the Trump administration to court. The latest disciplinary measures announced by Columbia against students came on Tuesday as Israel's siege on the Gaza Strip continued to cause widespread starvation, with at least 15 people, including a six-week-old baby, dying from hunger and malnutrition within a 24-hour period, according to health officials. Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University protest leader targeted for deportation by the Trump administration, met with lawmakers in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, more than a month after he was released from immigration custody in Louisiana, where he was being held amid a pledge by the US president to deport pro-Palestinian activists.