Activist Mwangi and Atuhaure reaveal a shocking ordeal in Tanzania
On June 2, 2025, Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan lawyer and journalist Agather Atuhaire publicly recounted harrowing experiences during their detention in Tanzania, following their arrest in May while attending the treason trial of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
They detailed severe mistreatment during their detention. Mwangi reported being subjected to torture, including being forced to strip naked and enduring physical abuse. He also alleged that Atuhaire was sexually assaulted by Tanzanian security personnel. Atuhaire corroborated these claims, stating that she was blindfolded, violently stripped, and raped by individuals in plain clothes. She further described being smeared with excrement and beaten to the point where she could no longer walk.
The activists' revelations have intensified calls for investigations into their treatment. Amnesty International has urged Tanzanian authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the allegations of arbitrary arrest, torture, incommunicado detention, and forcible deportation. The United States government has also called for investigations into the allegations of human rights abuses involving the activists.
The ordeal of Mwangi and Atuhaire underscores the risks faced by human rights activists in the region and highlights ongoing concerns about political repression and the treatment of dissenting voices. Their experiences have sparked international concern over human rights and political repression in Tanzania.
By Oluoch Clinton
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