KENYA: Activists Mwangi And Atuhaire Recount Ordeal Of Torture, Assault By Tanzanian Authorities

By Lisbeth Micheni, Kenya 

Prominent Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan human rights lawyer Agather Atuhaire have accused Tanzanian authorities of abducting, torturing, and sexually assaulting them during a recent visit to the country, triggering widespread outrage and calls for accountability.

The two were in Tanzania last month to observe a court hearing involving opposition leader Tundu Lissu, when they were arrested under unclear circumstances, denied legal representation, and allegedly subjected to inhumane treatment before being deported.

Speaking at a press conference in Nairobi on Monday, Mwangi detailed the abuse he endured, claiming he was tortured, stripped naked, and sexually assaulted during detention.

“They did very terrible things to me and Agather,” he said. “Whatever they did was recorded, and they threatened to release the footage when we got home.”

Mwangi, a former photojournalist and vocal government critic, accused the Kenyan government of abandoning him in his hour of need, alleging complicity or silence in the face of Tanzanian abuse.

Atuhaire, visibly shaken during the briefing, recounted being abducted from her hotel room by five men and one woman before sunrise.

She was blindfolded, transported in a dark vehicle, and taken to an undisclosed location.

“I almost sat on guns… I thought it was over,” she recalled.

Both were held for days. Mwangi was eventually deported and dropped at the Horohoro border with a mere 20,000 Tanzanian shillings (about KSh400) and no official explanation.

“They told me to lie down and wait for a boda boda rider, who then drove me to the Kenya-Tanzania crossing,” he said.

Atuhaire was similarly dumped at the Uganda-Tanzania border in the dead of night. “I’ve faced political pressure back home, but I never imagined I’d meet a government more brutal than Uganda’s,” she said.

The two activists alleged they were first detained at an immigration office, later moved to a police station, and denied access to legal counsel.

Atuhaire said interrogators appeared particularly incensed by her international travel record.

“They accused me of being sent by foreigners to destabilize their country,” she said.

International condemnation has followed the revelations, with human rights organizations and foreign governments expressing concern over Tanzania’s treatment of visiting activists.

The United States government said it was “worried” by reports of abuse and called for investigations.

The incident has reignited debates over press freedom, civil liberties, and regional cooperation in East Africa, especially as civil society voices continue to be silenced across borders.