Peter Kawanjiru: Rigathi Gachagua's Ally Charged with Terrorism Alongside Wanjiku Thiga
- Two individuals allied to Rigathi Gachagua faced serious charges following an alleged coordinated attack on multiple government offices during the June 25 unrest in Kiambu
- Authorities carried out investigations under anti-terror law as suspects remained in custody, while they also targeted more arrests as the case unfolded
- Kawanjiru's family claimed that officers who fired gunshots during his arrests cleared evidence after reportedly destroying their property
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Nancy Odindo, a TUKO.co.ke journalist, has over four years of experience covering Kenyan politics, news, and features for digital and print media.
Peter Kinyanjui Wanjiku, also known as Kawanjiru, and Serah Wanjiku Thiga have been charged with committing a terrorist act during the June 25 protests in Kikuyu, Kiambu county.
Source: Twitter
The duo, youth leaders at the former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua's DCP party, was arrested after the chaotic protests that resulted in the torching of various government facilities.
They were charged at the Kahawa Law Courts on Monday, July 7.
What were Kawanjiru, Wanjiku's offences?
According to court documents, the duo, alongside others not before the court, allegedly carried out coordinated attacks between 12pm and 11pm, resulting in extensive damage to multiple government offices.
"You and others not before the court committed a terrorist act that resulted in serious damage to government offices," the charge sheet read in part.
The targeted facilities included the Kikuyu Law Courts, Kikuyu Probation Office, Sub-County Administration Offices, Chief’s Office, Registrar of Persons Offices, Education Office, and Accountant’s Offices.
The Lands Office, Dagoreti Police Post, and the Kikuyu Deputy County Commissioner’s Office were also destroyed.
The suspects are being held as investigations continue under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of additional arrests as the case unfolds.
Source: Twitter
What happened to Peter Kawanjiru?
Earlier, the family of Kawanjiru claimed that he had been abducted from his home in Limuru under unclear circumstances.
According to the family, officers arrived without notice, and a confrontation ensued as residents attempted to intervene.
Footage from the incident captured sounds of gunfire, allegedly from police trying to disperse the crowd.
Relatives further alleged that officers tampered with or cleared key evidence from the scene during the raid.
However, after hours of uncertainty and mounting concern, the National Police Service confirmed that Kawanjiru and his co-accused were held at the Ruiru Police Station.
Why was Peter Kawanjiru rearrested?
Meanwhile, tension erupted outside the Ruiru Law Courts after anti-terrorism police rearrested Kawanjiru moments after his release on a KSh 500,000 bond.
The heavily armed officers seized him in front of his family, sparking chaos as his mother attempted to intervene.
Police fired shots into the air to disperse the protesting crowd before speeding off with the suspect in a white van. The dramatic scene left relatives and onlookers shaken, raising concerns over due process and excessive force.
Elsewhere in Kiambu, Wanjiku was rearrested by plainclothes police officers moments after the Kiambu Law Courts granted her a KSh 50,000 cash bail.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
