KDRTV News – Nairobi: In late May 2025, celebrated Kenyan activist and photojournalist Boniface Mwangi, along with Ugandan journalist and human rights defender Agather Atuhaire, traveled to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to support Ugandan opposition leader Tundu Lissu at his treason trial. What began as a mission of solidarity quickly turned into a nightmare of state-sponsored torture, sexual violence, and illegal detention – one that has shaken the conscience of East Africa and the international community.
Mwangi’s ordeal began at 3:30 a.m. on May 19th, when armed men in civilian clothes stormed his Hotel room, claiming to be conducting a “routine inspection.” Hotel security assisted in this forced entry. Mwangi, fearing for his life, resisted until dawn and alerted fellow activists. Later that morning, he was arrested by Immigration Commissioner Samwel Mahirane and his team, accused of destabilizing the country, and denied access to legal counsel even though three Tanganyika Law Society lawyers were present. The lawyers were threatened and ordered to leave.
Meanwhile, Ugandan journalist Atuhaire was also abducted from her room in a similar fashion.
What followed was a horrifying sequence of torture. Blindfolded and handcuffed, Mwangi was transported to a secret location in a white Land Cruiser with fake license plates. There, he was stripped naked, hung upside down, and subjected to falanga meaning, beaten on the soles of his feet with wooden planks while loud gospel music played to silence his screams.
Activist Boniface Mwangi and Agatha Atuhaire
Worse still, Mwangi was sexually assaulted, with objects forcibly inserted into his anus. He was forced to chant “Asante Samia” to praise Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, under threats of having videos of the abuse leaked to humiliate him and his family.
In a nearby room, Atuhaire endured similar horrors. Her screams, heard by Mwangi, revealed she too was being beaten, sexually assaulted, and degraded – officers reportedly smeared her with human waste to terrorize her further.
After four days of brutal abuse and constant threats, both Mwangi and Atuhaire were dumped near border points while Mwangi at Horo-Horo on the Kenya side, and Atuhaire at Mutukula on the Uganda side. They were given small amounts of cash and stern warnings never to return to Tanzania or speak publicly of what had happened.
Despite being bloodied and traumatized, Mwangi made it back to Nairobi and immediately began speaking out. “Our bodies may be broken, but our spirit is strong,” he declared, vowing to seek justice not just for himself and Atuhaire, but for all victims of state repression in East Africa.
These acts clearly violate the Tanzanian Constitution, the East African Community (EAC) Treaty Articles 6 and 7, and international laws including the United Nations Convention Against Torture. The incident highlights growing impunity among security forces in East Africa and the use of torture as a political weapon.
Activist Boniface Mwangi
Human Rights Research Center, Amnesty International Kenya, and the European Parliament have condemned the abuse, calling for independent investigations. The U.S. State Department also expressed deep concern and urged full accountability, especially as Tanzania approaches its general elections in October 2025.
Mwangi and Atuhaire have filed formal complaints and are calling on the East African Community to deploy independent fact-finding missions, ratify and enforce anti-torture conventions, and strengthen legal protections for activists and journalists.
Their ordeal is not just a Tanzanian issue it is a regional crisis. The rising wave of state-sponsored violence and repression in East Africa threatens the very core of democracy, freedom of expression, and human dignity.
The brutal torture of Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire is a chilling reminder that freedom is under attack in East Africa. Governments including Tanzania’s must be held accountable for human rights violations. Silence and impunity will only encourage more atrocities.
It is time for the East African Community, African Union, and international bodies to take a stand. The world must not look away.
Read:https://www.kdrtv.co.ke/news/a-young-maid-tortured-by-her-employer-in-nairobi/
