Two individuals allied to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Peter Kinyanjui Kawanjiru and Serah Wanjiku Thiga, have been formally charged with the alleged arson and destruction of multiple government offices, including the Kikuyu Law Courts, in what authorities are classifying as a terrorist act.
The charges, brought forward by the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) and sanctioned by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), stem from an incident that occurred on June 25, 2025, in Kikuyu area, Kiambu County. According to the charge sheet presented in court, the two suspects, alongside others not before the court, are accused of orchestrating an attack that led to extensive damage to government property.
“On the 25th day of June, 2025, between 1200 hours and 2300 hours in Kikuyu area within Kiambu County, you and others before court, committed a terrorist act which resulted to serious damage to Government Offices and Buildings,” the charge sheet reads in part.
Among the damaged establishments are the Kikuyu Law Courts, Kikuyu Probation Offices, Kikuyu Sub-County Offices, Chief’s Office, Registrar of Persons’ Offices, Sub-County Education and Accountant’s Offices, Registrar of Lands Offices, Dagoretti Police Post, and the Kikuyu Deputy County Commissioner’s Office.
Kawanjiru, who serves as the Deputy County President (DCP) Youth Leader, was reportedly arrested on the night of July 1 by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). According to his family, the arrest was carried out under distressing circumstances at their home in Limuru.
“They broke into our house at around 8:30 pm, shattered the doors, and turned everything upside down,” a family member recounted. “The officers were in civilian clothes and offered no explanation beyond saying they were taking him into custody.”
Human rights organizations have since raised concerns over the manner in which Kawanjiru was apprehended, calling for due process and transparency in ongoing investigations.
The court proceedings are ongoing, with the prosecution pushing to have the suspects held as investigations continue. The matter has drawn significant public attention, given the scale of the damage and the sensitivity surrounding anti-terrorism operations in the country.