June 3, 2025 | Nairobi, Kenya— Two renowned human rights activists from East Africa, Boniface Mwangi (Kenya) and Agather Atuhaire (Uganda), have accused Tanzanian security forces of subjecting them to sexual assault and inhumane treatment during their detention in Dar es Salaam last month.
The activists made these shocking revelations during a press conference in Nairobi on Monday, following their return from Tanzania. According to Reuters reporters, Mwangi and Atuhaire had traveled to Dar es Salaam to attend the court appearance of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who faces treason charges.
They were arrested on May 19, the same day President Samia Suluhu Hassan warned foreign activists against “invading and interfering in our affairs.”
The duo described being abducted from their hotel, blindfolded, and transported to an unknown location by Tanzanian police. Mwangi, visibly distressed, claimed he was stripped, interrogated, and sexually assaulted, with his attackers taking photographs during the abuse.
“I was violated in the most dehumanising way,” he said, fighting back tears. “No human being deserves to go through what we experienced.”
Atuhaire shared a similarly harrowing account, stating she was blindfolded, tied up, and sexually assaulted by officers. She said they were later dumped near their respective home borders and forced to cross back into Kenya and Uganda.
Tanzanian authorities have yet to respond to the serious allegations. Efforts by journalists to reach the Tanzanian government, police, and foreign ministry have gone unanswered. Likewise, Kenya’s foreign affairs ministry and Uganda’s information ministry have not commented.
The accusations have reignited concerns over human rights abuses in Tanzania. Critics say President Hassan’s early promises of political reform have given way to growing repression. Lissu, who was the main opposition candidate in the last presidential election, was arrested in April for allegedly inciting rebellion.
While President Hassan once vowed to uphold human rights and ordered investigations into alleged abuses, civil society groups say incidents like these undermine those commitments.
Human rights organizations across the region are now calling for an independent investigation into the activists’ allegations. Mwangi and Atuhaire have also announced plans to pursue legal action and are appealing to international human rights bodies to intervene.
“We cannot allow state-sanctioned brutality to become the norm,” Atuhaire said. “Silence is complicity.”
The disturbing accounts are expected to strain diplomatic relations and raise broader questions about freedom, safety, and justice in East Africa.
