Some of the 37 individuals who were arraigned at the Kahawa Law Courts on Tuesday on terrorism-related charges, on July 8, 2025. /ODPP/XThe Director of Public Prosecutions has approved terrorism-related charges against 37 individuals who were arraigned at the Kahawa Law Courts on Tuesday.
The individuals face charges for allegedly committing terrorist acts in separate incidents that occurred on June 25, 2025, in Kikuyu, Kiambu county, and Matuu, Machakos county.
According to the prosecution, 25 of the suspects are linked to a series of coordinated attacks in Kikuyu that occurred between 12 pm and 11 pm.
The alleged acts of terrorism resulted in extensive damage to key government installations, including the Kikuyu Law Courts, Kikuyu subcounty offices, the Office of the Registrar of Persons, and the Kikuyu Deputy County Commissioner’s Office.
Other facilities damaged included the Kikuyu Probation offices, Chief’s office, subcounty education office, subcounty accountant’s office, Registrar of Lands office, and Kikuyu police station.
The suspects also face additional counts of arson and, in the alternative, malicious property damage.
The DPP has further sanctioned terrorism charges against 10 more individuals arrested in Matuu, where a separate incident led to the destruction of police vehicles and an assault on officers stationed at Matuu police station.
The prosecution told the court that the decision to charge was “independently made” and “the charges are properly before the court” after reviewing the investigation files and deciding to charge all 37 suspects with committing terrorist acts contrary to the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Prosecutors urged the court to proceed with the pleas, stating that there was no malice in prosecuting the suspects and that the suspects were lawfully presented before the court and duly served with the charge sheets.
Two individuals, identified in court documents as Peter Kinyanjui Wanjiru alias Kawanjiru and Serah Wanjiku Thiga, were also arraigned alongside the 25 Kikuyu police station suspects.
In response to defence claims that the pair had been kidnapped after being granted bail at Ruiru Law Courts, the DPP clarified that they had “not been charged at the time,” and that custodial orders had been sought while their case was under review.
“The charges are not targeted at demonstrators,” the prosecution stressed, “but at individuals who allegedly chose to engage in acts of terrorism and destruction.”
In an application, defence lawyers sought to block the DPP from pursuing the terrorism charges against the accused.
Magistrate Gideon Kiaga ordered that all suspects remain in custody until July 10, 2025, when the court will deliver its ruling on the application.
