Priscilla Wangui, Mithiini Land Rights Crusader Imprisoned, To Appeal Guilty Verdict
Nairobi, Kenya – 18 March 2026
The Defenders Coalition yesterday learnt of the predicament that has befell a strong and resilient Woman Human Rights Defender Priscilla Wangui, following a court’s decision that found her guilty of assault in the case of MCCR/E2301/2023.
While we respects the independence of the Judiciary and the court’s decision that was delivered on 17 March 2026 at Kenol Law Courts, Priscilla’s verdict of guilty, Priscilla was criminalized for her frontline role of defending the rights of peasant farmers. Further, it paints a clear picture of lived realities of (W) HRDs as they champion for rights and freedoms, while also seeking redress for violations. The Defenders Coalition will stand in solidarity with WHRD Priscilla at this moment to include through the appeal process to vindicate her.
Who is Pricilla Wangui:
Priscilla Wangui is a Woman Human Rights Defender from Mithiini community, Makuyu -Kirimeri Ward, in Murang’a County who has stood tall against a legacy of colonial land alienation and systemic dispossession in Mithiini for the last 10 years. Her advocacy entails petitioning government institutions to acquire legitimate titles for their ancestral land. She has been a crusader for the recognition of over 600 community members who lay claim to the Makuyu -Kirimeri ward parcels of land.
She advances narratives that for over half a century, her community has cultivated the lands of Mithiini area in Muranga county, yet they remain legally invisible, trapped in a “squatter” status that denies them titles. Priscilla’s advocacy has centered on supporting peasant farmers to safeguard their right to ownership of their ancestral land. Despite their bravery, Pricilla and others have endured grave violence including destruction of property, physical attacks and criminalization.
Her current imprisonment is a big blow to the community of Mithiini people and the HRD network as it decapitates the community’s leadership and silence their claims to the soil.
