Activist-turned-presidential aspirant Boniface Mwangi has alleged a renewed campaign of state-led intimidation after he discovered a spent bullet casing inside his carry-on luggage during a domestic flight.
In a lengthy statement on Sunday, October 12, Mwangi narrated an incident which allegedly took place on October 9 when he was travelling from Nairobi to Malindi.
According to the human rights activist, he packed the bag himself and cleared two security checks at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) before it was briefly taken from him.
Mwangi claims that his bag was replaced with a luggage slip just before he boarded his flight, and upon arrival in Malindi, he found a used round of ammunition between his clothes.
"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," the activist narrated.
Mwangi further claimed that he initially considered reporting the matter to authorities but was advised against it by his legal team and instead reported it to a trusted human rights organisation as he documented evidence through photos and videos.
The activist claimed the incident was part of a broader, escalating campaign of state sabotage, intimidation and surveillance against him and other activists, particularly because he was at the heart of demonstrations in 2024, which led to the shelving of the 2024 Finance Bill.
While detailing the numerous times he has been arrested since President Uhuru Kenyatta's regime, Mwangi further claimed that attacks against him have escalated to intimidation tactics, particularly after he announced his bid to contest for the country's top job.
Mwangi, in his statement, went on to sensationally claim there was a plot to intimidate the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to discredit his presidential bid.
He added, "The government is using legal and illegal channels to try to frustrate and intimidate me. They have instigated multiple false criminal charges. There are plans to falsely accuse me of failing to pay taxes and targeting my finances. I have been reliably informed that efforts will be made to deregister my businesses, among other forms of financial sabotage."
"The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will also be pressured to challenge my eligibility to run for the presidency. They intend to exploit ethnic divisions, portraying me as an “entitled Kikuyu” in an attempt to turn public opinion against me. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) is wasting taxpayers' money by coordinating and financing these vile attacks, both online and offline."
Despite the alleged threats, the activist vowed not to back down from advocating for change as he reiterated that if anything happened to him, the state was to blame.
Police are yet to respond to the claims, and it remains unclear whether Mwangi will seek redress from the police.
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