Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi says he is “struggling to be alive” after enduring horrific abuse while detained in Tanzania, including being sexually tortured by state agents.
Speaking at a press conference in Nairobi, a visibly emotional Mwangi described being stripped naked, hung upside down, beaten, and sodomised with objects by Tanzanian authorities.
His alleged crime? Showing solidarity with opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is facing treason charges many believe are politically motivated.
“They raped me. They made me say ‘asante’ to the president. They filmed it and threatened to leak it,” Mwangi said, holding back tears. Mwangi said.
Alongside him was Agather Atuhaire, a Ugandan activist who was also detained and has publicly stated she was raped during custody. She described Tanzania’s regime as worse than Uganda’s, which is already known for its authoritarian grip.
Tanzanian Police Boss Responds to Boniface Mwangi
While Mwangi gave a graphic account of the abuse, Tanzanian police in Dar es Salaam dismissed it all as ‘hearsay’, with police chief Jumanne Muliro saying the claims were “just opinions from activists”.
“In law, those things are called hearsay evidence,” Muliro claimed, urging Mwangi to file a formal complaint instead.
“That is their opinion, their perspective. If what they’re saying is indeed true, then they should present it to the relevant investigative authorities,”
Mwangi, however, says there’s no need to prove what is already written all over his body:
“I have wounds everywhere — my feet, my genitals, two broken toes, fractures. I can barely walk. But the worst scars are in my mind.”
The duo had travelled to Tanzania to support Lissu under the banner of Pan-African solidarity — a move that Tanzania’s president Samia Suluhu Hassan condemned as “meddling”. Upon arrival, they were abducted in broad daylight from a prominent hotel. No word was heard from them for days, triggering outrage across East Africa and globally.
“This government doesn’t even try to hide. They tortured us without fear. They don’t care what the world thinks,” Mwangi said.
Rights groups including Amnesty International have condemned the Tanzanian government’s actions, calling for an immediate and independent investigation. The U.S. State Department also voiced concern, especially over the abuse of Atuhaire — one of its 2024 International Women of Courage Award recipients.
Other Kenyan public figures like former justice minister Martha Karua and former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga were deported when they attempted to enter Tanzania.
Tanzania’s top police official has dismissed claims by Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi that he was abducted and sexually tortured while in Dar es Salaam.
Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander, SACP Jumanne Muliro, said Mwangi’s allegations are simply “opinions” and not verified facts.
Despite the emotional weight of Mwangi’s testimony, Tanzanian authorities have yet to open an official investigation. The police maintain that the claims remain unverified until formally reported.
By Vivian K.