DCP youth leader Peter Kinyanjui alias Kawanjiru arraigned in court
By Zipporah Ngwatu, July 8, 2025The Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) youth leader Peter Kinyanjui Wanjiru alias Kawanjiru was produced at the Kahawa Law Courts on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, after he was dramatically re-arrested.
Kawanjiru was arraigned together with Serah Wanjiku Thiga who is also former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s ally and 35 Gen-Z’s who participated in the recent protests.
The 37 protesters were expected to take plea over charges of terrorism pressed on them by the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) before Principal Magistrate Gideon Kiage Oenga.
However, the defence team, led by Senior Counsel Kalonzo Musyoka, lawyer Kibe Mungai, and Ndengwa Njiru, challenged the prosecution’s decision to charge their clients with terrorist acts, citing that they were merely exercising their Constitutional rights by demonstrating.
“It is not possible for the prosecution to charge people with terrorist acts and say no we have not called protesters terrorists,” lawyer Mungai stated.
“The prosecution is aware of the conscious of this court, every patriotic Kenyan would be offended to call political protesters terrorists, that is exactly what they have done your honour, they should not be allowed to get away with it,” lawyer Kibe told the court.
Further, the defence team expressed their worry on how it is only in Kenya that the so-called terrorists come out in large numbers, adding that the youths are just exercising Constitutional rights.
The prosecution insisted that the protesters were eligible to plead to the terrorism charges.
The DPP is set to charge Kawanjiru and Wanjiku Thiga with commission of a terrorist Act contrary to Section 4(1) of the Prevention of Terrorism Act No.30 of 2012.
The two ex-DP Gachagua allies are said to have committed a terrorist act which left Kikuyu probation offices, Kikuyu Law Courts, Kikuyu Sub-County offices, Kikuyu Chiefs’ office, among other government offices and buildings, seriously damaged on June 25, 2025, during Gen-Z protests.
Magistrate Kiage has directed that the 37 people remain in custody in the various police stations where they are being held until Thursday, July 10, 2025, when he will deliver a ruling on whether they will plead to the terrorism charges.
“Owing to the importance of the gravity of the issues that have been raised by counsels for both sides, I preserve the ruling to this to July 10, 2025. In the meantime, the suspects herein remain in custody in respective police stations where they are currently being held,” Magistrate Kiage directed.