Human rights activist Boniface Mwangi has accused the government of using fear, sexual violence, and extrajudicial killings to stifle the youth-led protest movement sweeping across the country.

Speaking on Spice FM on Monday, June 30, Mwangi alleged that the state is deliberately targeting women protesters in an attempt to discredit the movement and discourage participation.

“There has never been a single rape at any protest until last week,” Mwangi said, referencing allegations of sexual violence during the June 18 demonstrations.

“It’s a sign that the government is threatened by a women-led movement. They know that women bring safety and legitimacy, so they’re trying to destroy that by instilling fear.”

Mwangi argued that the government’s objective is to render protesting too dangerous to consider.

“If you’re not attacked by goons, you’ll be shot by police. If you survive, you risk sexual assault. All this benefits the state, it’s about control,” he claimed.

He warned that continued state violence could radicalize Kenya’s youth.

“If the state keeps killing our children, people will start to see retaliation as the only option,” Mwangi cautioned.

Responding to Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen’s claim that the protests were part of a coup attempt, Mwangi challenged the government to produce evidence.

“When Murkomen says there was a coup, who planned it? Who funded it? Who stood to benefit?” he questioned. “Instead, innocent people are being arrested while the real perpetrators of violence walk free.”