In a disgraceful and revealing climbdown that has utterly laid bare the abuse of Kenya’s anti-terror laws, the State has dropped terrorism charges against activist Boniface Mwangi, charges many Kenyans saw as both absurd and politically motivated.

Instead, in a move that reeks of face-saving desperation, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), under Renson Ingonga, has opted to charge Mwangi with unlawful possession of ammunition under the Firearms Act, releasing him on a personal bond of Sh1 million.