Activist Boniface Mwangi claims he was physically beaten and robbed by police officers in Nairobi earlier this month. In a social media post on Monday, Mwangi stated that on the night of April 2, three police officers invaded their Sema Ukweli office in Hurlingham at 9:30 p.m., reportedly in response to a noise complaint.
When Mwangi approached the office, he noticed that one person was visibly inebriated and chewing miraa.“He started roughing us up immediately,” Mwangi wrote. “When I questioned why he was carrying a firearm while intoxicated, a scuffle broke out.” The protester claimed that the cop attempted to cock his firearm and point it at him, but a colleague intervened and moved the weapon away.
He stated that the three officers then handcuffed, battered, and pulled him out of the office. According to reports, the force employed during the arrest resulted in severe injuries to his wrists, knees, and ribs. “As they forced me into the police vehicle, [the officer] hit me hard with the butt of his gun,” he said.
“Later, inside the cell at Kilimani Police Station, he continued assaulting me, punching me repeatedly while another officer held me down.” According to reports, the officers stopped hitting Mwangi after his colleagues intervened. In the early hours of April 3, the Kilimani Officer Commanding Station (OCS) discovered the activist in pain and ordered his transfer to Nairobi Hospital, where he claims he had scans and testing for internal injuries. Although no fractures were discovered, Mwangi did suffer bruises, edema, and blurred vision in one eye.
After being released, Mwangi was taken to the police station, where he formally reported the attack. Mwangi claims he was surprised to find that the officers had quietly filed charges against him for “offensive conduct and assault. ”This is despite assurances that the matter was under investigation and requests from the police not to publicise the incident. The charges were filed in his absence in Kibera Law Courts on April 7th.
Mwangi, who had traveled abroad for employment, was represented by his lawyer in court, who showed travel documentation to prove his journey. Nonetheless, an arrest warrant was issued after he failed to appear, and a new plea hearing date was set for April 22.
“This is the kind of impunity we live with,” Mwangi wrote. “I was assaulted, robbed of my personal belongings my watch and AirPods and I’m the one being charged,” he said.
Mwangi stated that he has subsequently submitted an official complaint with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), claiming concerns about a cover-up and seeking justice.
