Photographer and human rights activist Boniface Mwangi has disappeared after his arrest under unclear circumstances by officers reported to be from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). He was arrested on Friday at his Lukenya home in Machakos County, and hours later, his whereabouts remain unknown.
Her husband, Njeri Mwangi, took to social media in anger, tweeting on X :
“The police have broken into our home in Courage Base and are arresting my husband on terrorism and arson charges! They’ve confiscated his gadgets and are saying they’re taking him to DCI Hq. I cannot breathe.”
Even though the arresting officers are said to have stated that Mwangi would be taken to DCI Headquarters along Kiambu Road, there has not been any statement, and he has not been located at any police station. Njeri further stated that no warrant was shown during the raid and the officers offered no official statement of the accusations.
Human rights advocate Ndegwa Njiru, who was present when the search was conducted, claimed that Mwangi was shoved into what he referred to as the “notorious Subaru” of DCI officers and taken to a place he did not reveal.
“Boniface is missing. We cannot trace him,” Njiru declared in a public statement, expressing concern about his well-being and the rule of law.
The attack has provoked national outrage, with Kenyans on social media demanding the authorities’ immediate transparency and accountability. Human rights monitors and legal observers worry about what appears to be a dangerous escalation of the attacks on outspoken government critics.
