Activists Recount Harrowing Abduction and Torture in Tanzania
In a deeply emotional and disturbing account, a Kenyan human rights activist, Boniface Mwangi, and a Ugandan activist, Agather, have come forward to share the details of their abduction and torture at the hands of Tanzanian security forces. The activists addressed a gathering in Nairobi to recount the horrific experience that began on May 18 during a visit to Tanzania.
The activists had traveled to Tanzania to attend the court hearing of opposition figure Tundu Lissu. Accompanied by several colleagues including Martha Karua, the group entered Tanzania legally. While Karua and others were deported upon arrival, Mwangi and fellow activist Agather were permitted entry. The activist emphasized that they were in Tanzania lawfully and had no intention of interfering in the country’s politics, but rather were present to support a fellow East African in the spirit of regional solidarity.
Early Morning Raid and Detention
The ordeal began in the early morning hours of May 19. Security officers violently knocked on the activist’s hotel room door demanding he accompany them. Refusing to leave without a lawyer, he barricaded himself until morning. He described the knocking as aggressive and frightening, stating that the men outside offered no identification or legal justification for their intrusion.
Later that day, his bags were collected by Agather, who had arrived separately and was staying in the same hotel. When the activist attempted to leave, he was surrounded by a group of 10–12 men. He was taken to the migration office for questioning, fingerprinted, and photographed. Authorities demanded access to his phone, which he had entrusted to Agather for safekeeping. When they traced Agather on hotel CCTV, she too was arrested and her room ransacked.
Despite their cooperation, the situation quickly escalated. The activists were denied access to legal representation, even though lawyers from the Tanganyika Law Society had come to their aid. Instead, the lawyers were intimidated and eventually forced to leave under threats of investigation, creating a sense of helplessness and vulnerability for the detainees.
Beatings and Interrogation
At the migration office, Agathr was interrogated for hours without legal counsel. The activist recounted how she was kept in a separate room, where she was verbally threatened. Meanwhile, Boniface Mwangi received a call from the Kenyan ambassador, Isaac Jenga, informing him of his imminent deportation. Before this could take place, a man claiming to be a state security officer appeared and began physically assaulting the activist in front of the lawyers and Agatha.
Mwangi described being slapped, kicked, and verbally degraded. The abuse was not limited to physical violence. The officer made horrifying threats, including rape and circumcision, asserting that the activist was an enemy of the Tanzanian state. The threats extended to Agatha, with one officer threatening to rape her while others stood by silently.
Both activists were then moved to Central Police Station, where the abuse intensified. Mwangi was repeatedly assaulted while Agatha, though not initially physically attacked, faced intimidation and degradation. The officers insisted on retrieving the activist’s phone, believing it to contain sensitive information about his contacts and movements.
Abduction and Torture Site
Eventually, both activists were blindfolded and handcuffed before being forced into a white Land Cruiser by men in civilian clothing, some carrying AK-47s. They were driven for approximately 20 minutes to an undisclosed location, which the activist described as a building prepared for torture.
Upon arrival,Boniface Mwangi was stripped naked, handcuffed, and suspended upside down. He was beaten on the feet while gospel music blared in the background to muffle his screams. The activist recalled the psychological torment as much as the physical pain. He was subjected to repeated sexual assaults, including the insertion of objects into his body. Throughout the ordeal, he was forced to chant praises for Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu while enduring unimaginable violations.
The perpetrators documented the abuse, threatening to release the footage online to shame him and ruin his reputation if he ever spoke out. He was questioned about his personal life, contacts, and reason for being in Tanzania. Fearing for his life and the safety of others, he ultimately provided his email and passwords.
Continued Abuse and Agatha’s Ordeal
Following his abuse, the activist was left on the floor, still bleeding and in pain. He recounted hearing Agatha’s screams and a man asking for permission to rape her, suggesting she, too, endured severe trauma. The following morning, Mwangi, barely able to walk, crawled to the bathroom. A man with an AK-47 watched him as he cleaned himself, offering no assistance or privacy.
He was transferred to a new location that he believed to be near the coast due to the sound of early morning prayers and an abundance of mosquitoes. There, he was given minimal food and water and subjected to additional insults and sporadic beatings. The guards warned him repeatedly never to speak of his ordeal or return to Tanzania.https://shorturl.at/KwX12
On Wednesday afternoon, the captors’ demeanor changed. They offered him painkillers and began preparing him for release. He was forced to walk to demonstrate his ability to move, despite the excruciating pain. The guards issued a stern warning: if he ever returned or spoke about what had happened, they would find him and kill him.
Release and Return to Kenya
On Thursday morning, Mwangi was blindfolded again and placed in a vehicle. He was driven for several hours, intermittently stopped, and instructed not to open his eyes or look at the captors. Eventually, he was dropped near the Tanzania-Kenya border at Horo Horo, given 20,000 Tanzanian shillings and 400 Kenyan shillings for transport.
A local motorcycle taxi driver, apparently coordinated by his captors, transported him to the border. Once in Kenya, the activist contacted his wife and began the journey back to Nairobi. Upon arrival, he sought medical attention and publicly stated that he would release his medical report to show evidence of the torture he endured.
Call for Justice and Condemnation
In his concluding remarks, Boniface Mwangi condemned both the Tanzanian and Kenyan governments. He accused the Tanzanian authorities of using torture and sexual violence as tools to silence dissent and intimidate regional activists. He also criticized the Kenyan government for failing to intervene or demand accountability, saying, “My government let me down.”
He emphasized that his actions were part of a broader tradition of African solidarity. “I’ve been to Uganda when Bobi Wine was under house arrest. I visited Stella Nyanzi when she was imprisoned. I’m an East African. Africa is my home.”
The activist vowed to continue speaking out, regardless of the risks. “Our bodies might be broken, but our spirits remain strong,” he said through tears. “We will not be silenced. The world must know what they did to us.”
Human rights organizations have begun issuing calls for independent investigations and medical evaluations to verify and respond to the allegations. Kenyan lawmakers are under increasing pressure to clarify the government’s position on the abuse of its citizens abroad.
As the story continues to unfold, the testimonies of these activists serve as a chilling reminder of the dangers faced by those who speak out against repression — and a call to action for governments, human rights defenders, and civil society across the continent.https://touchdigitalnews.com/ruto-outlines-bold-vision-of-progress-in-madaraka-day-address/?fbclid=IwY2xjawKptgJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFSWlBuc0U1Zm9yVG5BNFllAR7IMDmwaJ_uVSxY_4LfZUVo45Ip9gtjCqF1JlhngEYaEEwBvAKkRibXQ05JDw_aem_Razrn9OKceCiZgu1ybUzPQ