NAIROBI, Kenya — Human rights activist and presidential hopeful Boniface Mwangi has raised alarm after discovering what he says is a spent bullet casing in his luggage following domestic travel, alleging the act was a deliberate attempt to frame him.
He warned: “If they kill me, blame the state.”
The incident, Mwangi says, took place on October 9 as he flew from Nairobi to Malindi via JKIA. He claims he personally packed his carry-on bag and passed through two security checks before airport staff briefly took the bag and issued him a luggage slip before boarding.
Upon arrival in Malindi, Mwangi says, he retrieved his bag and later discovered the casing tucked among his clothes. He insisted the cartridge was planted during the brief period his luggage was out of his hands.
“The spent cartridge was slipped into my bag … There is only one way of interpreting this incident; a direct threat to my life,” he stated.
Mwangi, who declared his intention to run for president in July, says he did not immediately report the matter to the police upon advice from his legal team and human rights groups, fearing possible reprisals.
Instead, he documented the item with photographs and videos and alerted a human rights organisation.
He described the discovery as part of a pattern of intimidation and surveillance orchestrated by state actors. Mwangi pointed to numerous past encounters with law enforcement — from arrests to confiscation of devices — which he says have escalated since he entered the national political stage.
While Mwangi’s account has drawn media attention, law enforcement authorities have yet to officially respond. At this stage, there is no public record of a formal investigation or charges connected to the matter.
The gravity of Mwangi’s warning invites urgent questions: Was the casing truly planted? If so, who is responsible? And what safeguards exist to protect citizens — especially outspoken critics — from politically motivated intimidation?
As the country edges toward critical electoral periods, the alleged incident raises serious implications for freedom of expression, political safety, and the rule of law
