DCI asks court for more time to hold Boniface Mwangi over incitement » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 26 — The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has applied for custodial orders to detain Boniface Mwangi and four other activists for twenty-one days to complete investigations in incitement case.
The authorities have accused Mwangi, Albert Wambugu, Robert Otieno, Pablo Chacha, and Erot Franco of false publication, taking part in an unlawful assembly, and creating a disturbance in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace.
The DCI in an application on Friday alleged that on Thursday, July 25, around 11:30 am at CBD, along Koinange Street, the five caused breach of peace and inconvenienced other road users by blocking the road by placing one white coffin and seven crosses with names inscribed on them
“The respondent during the blocking of the said road were distributing t-shirts and placards with incitement words,” DCI stated.
“The respondents through various social media platforms had posted allegations that the government was out to kill its citizens which words were deemed and construed that the government was perpetrating extrajudicial killings; posts which incited the members of the public causing a breach of peace,” the agency argued.
The police told court it was conducting an investigation to establish the motive of assorted arresting officers confiscated from Mwangi and his associates.
Pursuing financiers
The investigation will seek to establish who financed the white coffin and crosses the activists carried. DCI also seek to know where the activists obtained the items.
“That the place of abode of the five is unascertained and releasing them may jeopardize the investigations,” DCI said.
Police arrested the five on Thursday while demonstrating in the CBD protesting police brutality on protestors.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) condemned the arrest and called for the release of the activists.
“Free Boniface Mwangi and Hussein Khali,” KHRC said vowing to sustain the clamour for the prosecution of police officers blamed for killing protestors.
Before his arrest, Mwangi had sent out an update informing his followers of an intended meeting point.
“See you at Kimathi Street at 11 am. Let’s escort the families of our heroes to the scene of the crime to lay flowers,” he stated.
“If you see Raila (ODM leader) anywhere, record a video calling him a traitor, let the old man spend the rest of his life knowing he betrayed Kenyans for a few coins,” Mwangi said referring to the nomination of four senior ODM politicians to President William Ruto’s Cabinet.
About The Author
