A Kenyan human rights activist, Boniface Mwangi has announced plans to run for the Presidency in the country’s 2027 election.
His candidacy will test whether the popular support for protests, led by young Kenyans over the last two years, can be translated into an electoral movement.
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Previously, Mwangi stood unsuccessfully for Parliament in 2017 on an anti-corruption platform. Though over the course of years, he has earned a reputation for speaking out against human rights violations in Kenya and abroad.
“Our leadership has failed us in numerous ways. You pay taxes expecting service, or you’re supposed to pay bribes to get that same service. So as we stand here, our country must be taken back into our hands,”he said during an event to announce his presidential bid.
In May, Mwangi was expelled from neighbouring Tanzania after travelling there to observe a hearing in a treason case against opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
In July, a Kenyan court charged Mwangi with possession of teargas canisters and a single rifle round found in his home.
He pleaded not guilty, saying the authorities had no evidence and called the prosecution “a big shame”.
Elections in Kenya are due in August 2027. Mwangi’s candidacy will have to be cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission which qualifies all candidates.
Others who have announced presidential bids include Senator Okiya Omtatah and former Chief Justice David Maraga. Incumbent President William Ruto also intends to seek re-election.
A coalition of opposition leaders, led by two former deputy presidents and other former government officials, also intend to to run.
REUTERS