Civil society activist Peter Agoro has turned his fight with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) Chief Executive Officer James Mwaura into one of Kenya’s most revealing corruption wars. Agoro says he was framed after rejecting a hefty bribe meant to silence him.
Instead of surrendering, he filed a constitutional petition exposing how EACC and Mwaura allegedly colluded to damage his reputation, violate his rights, and bury corruption scandals at KICC. His case now raises sharp questions about the misuse of state institutions to shield powerful figures from accountability.
Court Directions Shape Peter Agoro Against EACC and KICC CEO Case
On September 25, 2025, the High Court issued new directions in Agoro’s petition. Justice Bahati Mwamuye gave strict timelines that could either fast-track or stall the case.
The judge ordered that Agoro’s petition and application must be physically served within seven days. Respondents were granted another seven days to file their responses. Agoro may then file a rejoinder within the same timeframe. The case will return to court for further directions on November 6, 2025.
These directions matter because Agoro’s case touches on more than personal justice. It speaks to how whistleblowers and activists are treated when they expose corruption at top state institutions.
Allegations of Entrapment and Bribery
Agoro’s claims go beyond simple harassment. He says his arrest in September 2024 was a carefully staged entrapment meant to silence his activism.
He had filed a petition on September 11, 2024, seeking access to documents tied to a whistleblower report. The report accused KICC management of embezzling funds, manipulating procurement processes, abusing office, and engaging in conflicts of interest.
Agoro claims KICC CEO James Mwaura, with protection from a senior EACC officer, devised a trap after this move. On September 16, 2024, he says Mwaura invited him to a meeting at Pan Africa Hotel. During that meeting, Mwaura allegedly tried to bribe him by forcing bundles of US dollars into his handbag.
When Agoro resisted, he says men identifying themselves as police ambushed him, photographed him with the bag of cash, and dragged him to EACC headquarters. His phones, documents, and bag were confiscated. He was detained at Kilimani Police Station overnight and released on a KSh 100,000 cash bail.
Agoro insists this was not law enforcement but a cover-up meant to turn him into the villain while protecting those accused of corruption.
Defamation and Ongoing Reputational Damage
The case did not stop at the staged arrest. Agoro accuses EACC of mounting a deliberate smear campaign against him.
He says the agency published a statement branding him part of an “extortion racket” and circulated photos of him in handcuffs to mainstream media. The statement never mentioned Mwaura, despite his central role in the incident.
Agoro claims the omission was deliberate and meant to shield the KICC boss from scrutiny. The defamatory material has remained online for over a year, outliving the one-year limitation period for filing defamation claims. This technicality, he argues, effectively denies him the chance to clear his name through a defamation suit.
For Agoro, the damage has already been done. His reputation as a civil society leader has been bruised, his professional credibility undermined, and his activism cast under suspicion.
Legal Demands and Constitutional Rights
In his petition, Agoro is seeking several remedies. He wants a retraction of the defamatory statement and unconditional termination of the criminal case against him. He is also demanding a refund of the KSh 100,000 cash bail.
More importantly, he is asking the court to declare that his rights under Articles 27, 28, 29, 33, 34, 35, 47, and 50 of the Constitution were violated. These include rights to equality, dignity, freedom and security, expression, access to information, fair administrative action, and fair hearing.
By framing the petition this way, Agoro is not just defending himself but also making his case a test for how far state institutions can go in suppressing dissent and shielding the powerful.
The Bigger Picture of Peter Agoro Against EACC and KICC CEO
Agoro says his ordeal is tied to his anti-corruption work. He believes he was targeted because he questioned irregular dealings at KICC, including claims that tenders were awarded to companies linked to spouses of senior EACC officers.
More than a year after his arrest, no formal charges have been filed. This raises questions about the legitimacy of the case. Was it an attempt to punish a whistleblower and scare others into silence?
Meanwhile, the defamatory materials remain online, continuing to destroy his reputation while those accused of corruption face no scrutiny.
The case also exposes a disturbing trend. Instead of protecting whistleblowers, institutions like EACC appear to be weaponized to silence them. This undermines Kenya’s fight against corruption and signals that activism can come with personal risks that are almost impossible to survive.
What Next in the Fight Between Peter Agoro Against EACC and KICC CEO
The High Court will issue fresh directions on November 6, 2025. That date will determine whether Agoro’s fight gains traction or collapses under procedural technicalities.
For Agoro, the battle is not just about personal redemption but also about protecting the space for civil society. His case tests whether the judiciary can offer protection when watchdog institutions allegedly collude with those they are supposed to hold accountable.
Whether Agoro secures justice or not, his ordeal has already exposed how corruption fights in Kenya often turn against the whistleblowers instead of the corrupt. It shows that the war against graft is still far from being fought on equal ground.
