Activist Mwangi claims life in danger after bullet cartridge planted in his luggage

Activist Boniface Mwangi during a media briefing in Nairobi on October 12, 2025. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

Activist and presidential hopeful Boniface Mwangi now claims his life is in danger after a bullet was allegedly planted in his luggage at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Speaking to members of press on Sunday, Mwangi said a used bullet cartridge was planted in his carry-on bag as he was set to travel from JKIA to Malindi.

He said the incident was a direct attempt to incriminate or eliminate him.

 Mwangi said the discovery was made on October 9, 2025, shortly after he landed in Malindi.

He alleged that the bullet casing was found tucked between folded clothes in a bag he had packed himself and which had passed through two layers of security before boarding.

“At JKIA, my bag had successfully passed through security checks, but just before boarding my flight, an attendant asked me to hand over my bag, which I did and was given a luggage sip. Upon reaching Malindi, I opened it to remove a power bank and found a used bullet casing placed on top of my clothes,” he said, adding, “The bag was only briefly out of my sight during screening at JKIA. This was a calculated move meant to frame or harm me.”

According to him, this was part of a long-running campaign of intimidation and surveillance by state agents.

“This is not an accident; it is part of a pattern. I now believe my life is in serious danger,” he said.

Mwangi said he initially planned to report the matter to Malindi Police Station but was advised against it by his lawyers and human-rights organisations, who feared it could be used to fabricate a case against him.

“Reporting it would have played into their trap. I took photos, recorded a video, and shared the evidence with a human-rights organisation and my legal team instead,” he said.

His lawyer, former Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana, confirmed they had advised against filing a police report since Mwangi already faces an ongoing case related to alleged possession of ammunition.

“He would have been deployed to the police station for questioning, but the police would have said this as of a similar nature to a previous case, which could raise concerns. That’s why we invited human-rights groups to accompany him, to ensure transparency,” Kibwana said.

He added that Mwangi’s legal team would determine the next steps after reviewing the evidence and observing the government’s response.

“This relentless pursuit of a young activist is excessive. We will proceed carefully and ensure Kenyans are informed,” he said.