Boniface Mwangi is now missing - Hussein Khalid claims

Human rights activist and CEO of VOCAL Africa, Hussein Khalid, has raised concerns over the whereabouts of prominent activist Boniface Mwangi, hours after reports emerged that he had been arrested.

In a statement posted on social media on Saturday evening, Khalid claimed that Mwangi was no longer traceable, despite efforts to follow what was believed to be his arrest by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

"Comrades, Boniface Mwangi is now missing," Khalid posted. "We lost the DCI cars in traffic, and when we got to the DCI headquarters on Kiambu Road, we were told they’re not here. His whereabouts are now unknown."

Mwangi was reportedly picked up earlier in the day by individuals believed to be police officers, although the exact circumstances surrounding his arrest remain unclear.

Khalid has called on the DCI to clarify Mwangi’s location and the reasons for his reported arrest.

As of the time of publishing, the DCI had not issued an official statement regarding the matter.

Earlier on Saturday, Mwangi was reportedly arrested at his house in Machakos.

Mwangi’s wife, Njeri Mwangi, confirmed his arrest, saying police officers seized his electronic devices and linked him to alleged acts of “terrorism and arson.”

“They say they are investigating him over claims of terrorism and arson. We don’t know more about these claims, but we will know,” she said.

Khalid, who also confirmed the arrest, said he and a group of lawyers were pursuing the matter.

Mwangi has been in a low profile since he was tortured and deported from Tanzania.

The arrest comes a day after he and Agather Atuhaire, a Ugandan lawyer and journalist, filed a petition at the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) against the governments of Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, and the Secretary General of the East African Community.