NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi has been found alive with signs of torture after being forcibly disappeared in Tanzania, according to the Police Reforms Working Group Kenya (PRWG-K).
Mwangi, a prominent human rights defender, was reportedly dumped at the Kenya-Tanzania border on Thursday morning following his arrest earlier this week in Arusha.
His colleague, Ugandan journalist Agather Atuhaire, remains missing.
The two were part of a regional civil society mission observing the treason trial of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
Mwangi and Atuhaire were last seen on Monday in the custody of Tanzanian security agents.
Their arrests prompted urgent legal action, including the filing of habeas corpus applications in an effort to compel authorities to produce them in court.
While Mwangi’s release has brought relief, PRWG-K says his physical injuries are evidence of torture, and the group is demanding an independent investigation.
“We strongly condemn his unlawful arrest, detention and torture,” the coalition said in a statement. “Tanzania cannot use national sovereignty to justify serious crimes and human rights violations against its own citizens and other East Africans.”
The statement called for the immediate release of Atuhaire, who has not been seen or heard from since her detention.
Mounting Repression Across the Region
PRWG-K, which brings together more than 20 civil society and legal rights organisations across Kenya, linked the incident to a growing pattern of repression in Tanzania and Uganda.
It cited an uptick in arrests, intimidation, and enforced disappearances targeting journalists, opposition leaders, and activists.
“Such actions fly in the face of the Tanzanian Constitution and violate binding provisions of the East African Community (EAC) Treaty,” the coalition said, referencing Article 13(6) of Tanzania’s constitution and Articles 6 and 7(2) of the regional pact, which guarantee due process, dignity, and freedom from torture.
The coalition also invoked international treaties, including the UN Convention Against Torture and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, warning that continued silence from regional leaders could embolden autocratic regimes.
Calls for Diplomatic Action
PRWG-K is calling on the EAC, African Union, and international human rights bodies to urgently intervene, warning that Tanzania risks becoming “an international crime scene” ahead of its general elections in November.
The group outlined a list of demands, including:
- The unconditional release of Atuhaire and all arbitrarily detained Tanzanian activists;
- An impartial investigation into Mwangi’s alleged torture;
- Deployment of international fact-finding missions to investigate systemic rights violations;
- Formal diplomatic pressure from the Kenyan and Ugandan governments;
- And a regional commitment to end the criminalisation of dissent.
“The East African Community must not become a syndicate of autocracy,” PRWG-K warned, adding that the continued disappearance of Atuhaire is a test of the region’s collective commitment to justice and human rights.
Boniface Mwangi, known for his activism and outspoken criticism of state brutality, has long been a target of political harassment.
His return offers some hope, but the fate of Agather Atuhaire remains uncertain.
