Several activists, including Boniface Mwangi, were arrested alongside former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga. The arrests took place amid escalating tensions over the Finance Bill 2024 and follow a series of reported abductions linked to recent protests against the proposed legislation.
Security agencies are facing accusations of making these arrests and holding individuals incommunicado, which is against the law. The group initially presented themselves to protest the recent abductions.
In a recent update, activist Hussein Khalid tweeted, “I, Boniface Mwangi, Hanifa Adan we have been arrested by DCI inside the DCI Headquarters and taken to Nairobi Area Police Station in the company of Willy Mutunga.”
Prior to these arrests, several individuals, including Billy Simani and Dr. Austin Omondi, had been abducted and subsequently released. The actions of the security agencies have drawn significant criticism for being unconstitutional and violating human rights.
“Abductions are unconstitutional. The police are supposed to comply with human rights,” Mutunga stated before his arrest. Mwangi echoed these sentiments, stressing that citizens should not live in fear of abduction due to dissent.
The situation has intensified public scrutiny of the government’s response to opposition and its adherence to legal and human rights standards.
