Boniface Mwangi Speaks Out After Alleged Torture in Tanzania: ‘I Have Gone Through Four Very Dark Days’
Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi has finally broken his silence following his shocking ordeal in Tanzania, where he alleges to have been abducted, detained, and tortured by Tanzanian authorities. Mwangi, who had travelled to Tanzania to support opposition figure Tundu Lissu, recounted a harrowing four-day experience that has left him physically and emotionally scarred.
Mwangi was arrested on Tuesday, May 20, at his hotel and held incommunicado until Thursday, May 22, when he was released and dropped at the Kenya-Tanzania border in Horohoro. He later found his way to Lungalunga, from where he was assisted by human rights activist Hussein Khalid.
Appearing frail and shaken, Mwangi spoke to the press from a vehicle at Moi International Airport in Mombasa before being flown to Nairobi for further medical treatment. “I have gone through four very dark days. I have been tortured very badly. I can barely walk,” he said, his voice subdued.
More worrying for Mwangi, however, is the fate of Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire, who was arrested alongside him but remains missing. “We were tortured together, and they did very horrible things to us. I hope Agather is safe,” Mwangi stated.
Njeri Mwangi, his wife, confirmed that Agather was separated from Boniface during detention and her whereabouts remain unknown. “Bonnie was dropped at Horohoro border post, made his way to Lungalunga, and got transport. I called Khelef Khalifa and he picked him up,” she said.
Activist Hussein Khalid condemned the brutal treatment Mwangi received and linked the actions directly to Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan. “Every time they tortured him, they made him say ‘Asante Mama Samia’. This was cruel and orchestrated,” Khalid noted.
Khalid also called out the Kenyan government, suggesting possible complicity in Mwangi’s ordeal. “If Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi does nothing, we will push the international community to ensure justice is done. These officers can be identified,” he said.
Mwangi’s allegations, including claims of torture and politically motivated abuse, have sparked widespread outrage among human rights defenders across East Africa, raising concerns about the growing authoritarianism in the region.
As pressure mounts, calls are intensifying for a thorough and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mwangi’s detention and the continued disappearance of Agather Atuhaire.
In other news:Activists Led by Martha Karua Write to African Union Demanding Action Against Suluhu
Boniface Mwangi Speaks Out After Alleged Torture in Tanzania: ‘I Have Gone Through Four Very Dark Days’