
The News
Kenyan activist Bonface Mwangi, who has been a fierce critic of President William Ruto, declared his intent to seek the presidency in 2027.
Mwangi, 42, who announced his bid on Wednesday, has been a leading voice in youth-led protests against the government over the past two years. In June, he sued the Ruto government, as well as those of neighbors Tanzania and Uganda, in an East African Court and the International Criminal Court, alleging that he was abducted and tortured by their security agents in May.
Ruto said in April that he is confident he will be reelected. He rode to power in 2022 on promises to retool Kenya’s economy towards productivity and to champion ‘hustlers’ by expanding economic opportunities for youth. But his push to raise taxes sparked anti-government sentiments, helping raise Mwangi’s profile as a voice for young Kenyans and a self-acclaimed “people’s watchman.”
Step Back
Mwangi’s rise mirrors that of another East African youth activist, Robert Kyagulanyi. The pop star-turned-politician, better known as Bobi Wine, announced his bid to seek the Ugandan presidency a few months ago, setting the stage for another face off with President Yoweri Museveni after a defeat in 2021.
Both men reflect a cohort of youthful African aspirants aiming to ride popular disenchantments with governments to high office. Museveni is seeking another term to extend his nearly 40-year grip on Uganda, which makes unseating him a tall order even for Wine. However, Mwangi’s hopes could benefit from Ruto’s own victory over an incumbent in 2022.