Boniface Mwangi, the prominent activist and photojournalist, has recently come forward with shocking allegations involving violent assault and robbery by three officers from the National Police Service (NPS). According to Mwangi, the incident occurred on the night of April 2, 2025, around 9:30 pm, at the offices of Sema Ukweli, located in Hurlingham. The officers were reportedly responding to a noise complaint, but their actions escalated quickly, leading to an abusive encounter.
Mwangi claims that one of the officers, who appeared to be visibly intoxicated and chewing miraa, started harassing him and his colleagues. Concerned about the officer’s apparent state of inebriation, Mwangi questioned the senior officer present as to why a police officer carrying a firearm was allowed to work while under the influence. This question, according to Mwangi, provoked the officers, and a physical altercation ensued.
In his social media post, Mwangi describes the situation intensifying when the intoxicated officer allegedly drew his firearm, seemingly preparing to shoot him. However, Mwangi’s colleague is said to have intervened and pushed the gun away. The officers then reportedly handcuffed Mwangi, dragging him out of the office and continuing to assault him in full view of his colleagues and neighbors. Mwangi recounts how, during this violent process, the intoxicated officer struck him in the ribs with the butt of his gun. The brutality did not end there Mwangi was taken to the police station, where the officer followed him into the holding cell and continued the assault. Mwangi was reportedly held down by another officer while the drunk officer pummeled him further.
It was only when Mwangi’s colleagues began shouting at the officers and demanding that they stop the beating that the assault ceased. The following day, the Officer Commanding Kilimani Police Station allegedly discovered Mwangi in severe pain and ordered that he be taken to the hospital. Upon arriving at Nairobi Hospital, Mwangi underwent several medical examinations, including an X-ray, a head scan, and an ultrasound, to assess any internal injuries. Fortunately, he did not have any fractures but sustained injuries to his wrists, knee, and a busted lip. He also experienced significant pain in his left ribs where the gun had struck him, and his left eye was swollen and barely functional.
Despite the violent treatment he endured, Mwangi’s ordeal did not end at the hospital. After being discharged, he was taken back to the police station, where he reported the assault under OB No. 84/02/04/25. He was released on a KSh 5,000 police bond, and the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) allegedly promised an investigation into the officers’ actions. However, Mwangi claims that the OCS requested he refrain from publicizing the incident during the investigation period.
To Mwangi’s dismay, the situation took a further turn when the officers filed an assault case against him, accusing him of the very violence he had suffered. In an effort to defend himself, Mwangi’s lawyer presented evidence in court showing that he had been out of the country for work on the date he was supposed to appear for a plea. Despite the submission of flight details and official documentation, the court proceeded to issue a warrant for his arrest. The court also rescheduled the plea-taking to April 22, 2025, in a case that has sparked public outrage.
The controversial incident has garnered widespread condemnation, with former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, a close ally of Mwangi, expressing his outrage. Mutunga has promised to push for private prosecution against the officers if no decisive action is taken by the authorities. The case has brought to light concerns over police brutality and the abuse of power within Kenya’s law enforcement system, igniting public debate about the accountability of officers in positions of authority.
