Civil society activist Peter Agoro has taken the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) Chief Executive Officer James Mwaura to court over what he describes as a plot to frame him.
In his petition, Agoro accuses the two parties of orchestrating his arrest in 2024 through entrapment and defamation, an ordeal he says was aimed at silencing him and destroying his reputation as an outspoken critic of corruption.
Agoro explains that on September 16, 2024, he attended a meeting with Mwaura where he alleges that an attempt was made to bribe him.
According to his account, Mwaura forcibly pushed bundles of U.S. dollar notes into his handbag.
Agoro says he resisted this act, but moments later, men who identified themselves as police officers stormed in, staged photographs with the bag, and dragged him to the EACC offices.
What followed was the confiscation of his personal belongings, including phones and documents that contained his private and professional information.
He was then detained overnight at Kilimani Police Station before being released the next day on a cash bail of KSh 100,000.
Things escalated further when the EACC published a statement branding him as part of what they called an “extortion racket.”
The statement, which was widely circulated, included photos of Agoro in handcuffs, creating the impression that he had been caught red-handed engaging in criminal activity.
Agoro argues that this public shaming was intentional and designed to paint him as corrupt while diverting attention from the real issues he had been raising about alleged embezzlement and questionable procurement deals at KICC.
The activist insists that he was framed because of his consistent efforts to expose financial misconduct within public institutions.
He believes the move was not only meant to silence his voice but also to intimidate others who may want to speak out against mismanagement of public funds.
In his suit, he is seeking several remedies including a retraction of the defamatory statement, unconditional termination of the case against him, refund of his bail money, and a formal recognition that his constitutional rights were violated in the process.
The matter has now landed in the High Court, which has directed that his petition be served and responded to within strict timelines.
The court has also set November 6 as the date for further directions. This case will likely test how state agencies handle whistleblowers and critics, particularly those who claim to be victims of entrapment, and could raise wider concerns about the balance between fighting corruption and protecting individual rights.
Agoro’s pursuit of justice may open up a conversation about accountability, both within anti-graft institutions and public bodies like KICC.
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