Kenyan Activists Threaten to Storm Tanzania in Daring Cross-Border Protest

Tension is escalating fast between Kenya and Tanzania as human rights activists in Nairobi issued a fiery ultimatum to the Tanzanian government: release detained activist Boniface Mwangi within 24 hours — or face mass protests spilling across the border.

“Oppressive leaders, your time is up! We want Boniface back today, or else all of us will come to Tanzania so you can deport us again!” declared Don Githuku, a prominent voice in the Kongamano la Mapinduzi alliance during a heated press briefing in Nairobi.

Mwangi, a well-known anti-corruption crusader and fearless voice against state brutality, was arrested in Dar es Salaam on Monday, May 19, while attending a controversial treason trial for Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu. He was seized at the Serena Hotel along with Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire and has not been in contact with his family since.

His wife, Njeri Mwangi, confirmed the activist spent the night at Dar’s Central Police Station. Their lawyer, Jebra Kambole, is currently pursuing the matter with Tanzanian authorities.

But patience is running thin.

The coalition — made up of Kenyan leftist movements, civil rights organisations, and independent activists — has vowed to escalate the pressure campaign if Tanzania doesn’t comply.

“We’re giving Suluhu 24 hours. If Boniface is not released, we will occupy the Tanzanian High Commission. And after that, we’ll march into Tanzania!” Githuku thundered.

The dramatic threat comes as tension brews over what activists call the ‘shrinking democratic space’ in East Africa. Over the weekend, high-profile figures including Senior Counsel Martha Karua and former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga were deported from Tanzania after trying to attend Lissu’s trial.

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has hit back, warning foreign activists not to “interfere” in internal affairs. In a televised address unveiling the country’s new foreign policy, she called on security forces to block “ill-mannered individuals from crossing the line.”

But Kenyan activists aren’t backing down. They argue that solidarity is a regional right and that democratic backsliding in any East African country is a threat to all.

“We are Africans, East Africans, and we have a right to work with each other,” Githuku said. “We don’t have a problem with citizens — the problem is the presidents.”

With regional relations under strain and activist fury at boiling point, all eyes are now on Tanzania’s next move.

Will President Suluhu cave to growing regional pressure — or will the region witness a historic act of civil resistance?

In other news:Boniface Mwangi Detained in Tanzania, Family Unable to Contact Him

Kenyan Activists Threaten to Storm Tanzania in Daring Cross-Border Protest