“We Train Police To Kill People, Not Animals”: Senior Magistrate’s Warning to Activist Boniface Mwangi Sparks Outrage

A video capturing Kibra Senior Principal Magistrate Samson Temu’s controversial warning to prominent Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi has gone viral, igniting a fierce debate about police brutality and judicial conduct in Kenya.

In the footage shared by Sema Ukweli, an organization documenting human rights injustices including extrajudicial killings, Magistrate Temu is heard telling Mwangi: “Why do you want these guys (police) to kill you? You know we train them to kill people, not animals. By the time you convince them you’re not a bird, you’re dead… Think about your family. Forget about Kenya. Kenya will take care of itself.”

The exchange reportedly occurred when Mwangi appeared in court following what he describes as a “forceful arrest” from his Sema Ukweli office.

According to Mwangi, police claimed they were responding to a noise complaint, but he alleges he was “beaten so badly that I ended up in hospital” before facing “fake charges.”

In response to the viral video, Mwangi defended the magistrate’s comments, stating: “We laughed because what Magistrate Temu said is true. He meant well. He spoke to me man-to-man, because he knows Kenya police are trained to kill us.” Mwangi added that Temu “sympathised with me. I was before him on false charges, and he asked Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA)  to investigate and I didn’t take plea.”

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However, Dr. Willy Mutunga, the former Chief Justice, sharply criticized the magistrate’s remarks: “This is not a laughing matter. These comments reflect on the abuse of judicial power. On what constitutional or legal grounds is this ‘advice’ given?”

The controversy highlights alarming statistics shared by Sema Ukweli, which documented 159 cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in Kenya in 2024 alone.

Of these, 104 cases (65%) were attributed to police-related killings, while 55 cases (35%) were classified as enforced disappearances.

The incident has intensified calls from civil society groups using hashtags like #EndPoliceBrutalityKe and #EndAbductionsKe to demand accountability and reform within Kenya’s law enforcement and judicial systems.

As the video continues to circulate online, it has sparked a broader conversation about the relationship between the judiciary, law enforcement, and activists fighting for human rights in Kenya.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

WATCH the video below:

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