DAR ES SALAAM, TANANIA — Prominent Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan lawyer, human rights defender and journalist Agather Atuhaire have been detained in Tanzania under unclear circumstances, raising regional concerns about the increasing suppression of civil liberties in East Africa.
Mr Mwangi, known for his vocal stance against corruption and police brutality, was arrested on Monday 19, May 2025 at the Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam.
He had traveled to Tanzania to demonstrate solidarity with Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, the former presidential candidate and leader of the Chadema Party, who is facing treason charges in a case widely described by critics as politically motivated.
Speaking to Vivid Voice News, Mwangi’s wife, Njeri Mwangi, conveyed her distress at being unable to contact her husband since his arrest. “I have been told they are waiting for the government of Tanzania to consult and decide whether to charge him or to deport him,” she stated.
According to his wife, Mr Mwangi was detained alongside Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire — an investigative journalist and civic rights advocate known for her work on governance and accountability. Both Mr Mwangi and Ms Atuhaire were held overnight at the central police station in Dar es Salaam.
Their lawyer, Jebra Kambole, confirmed the detention and indicated that legal avenues were being pursued to secure their release.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan appeared to address the situation on Monday, issuing a warning against foreign interference in Tanzania’s national affairs.
“Let us not allow ill-mannered individuals from other countries to cross the line here,” President Suluhu declared, urging security agencies to take decisive action against foreign activists.
This crackdown has elicited strong criticism, particularly following the recent denial of entry and deportation of several high-profile regional figures, including Kenyan politician and former presidential candidate Martha Karua, who had arrived to attend Lissu’s trial.
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Ms Karua also represents Ugandan opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye, who is facing his own treason trial. Besigye was previously involved in a controversial incident where he was reportedly kidnapped in Kenya and transported to Uganda. Karua later confirmed via social media that she had entered Uganda “without a hitch” ahead of his hearing scheduled for Wednesday.
Regional activists have condemned these arrests and deportations as indicative of a broader trend of democratic regression across East Africa.
“The pattern is clear. Voices of dissent are being silenced under the guise of sovereignty,” commented a Nairobi-based civil rights advocate, speaking anonymously for security reasons.
As pressure intensifies on Tanzanian authorities to release Mwangi and other detained activists, human rights organizations are calling for immediate international attention to the shrinking civic space in the region.
