Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – The fate of Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan human rights advocate Agather Atuhaire remained shrouded in mystery on Wednesday, despite earlier reports suggesting their release from Tanzanian police custody. More than 24 hours after news of their supposed freedom surfaced, the two remain unreachable, with neither their families nor close associates able to confirm their safety or current location.
On Tuesday, May 20, reports had initially indicated that Mwangi and Atuhaire—both vocal champions of freedom of expression and civic justice in East Africa—had been freed at approximately 2 p.m. However, subsequent developments cast doubt on those claims, raising serious concerns over the Tanzanian government’s handling of the matter.
Held by Tanzania Immigration, Not Yet Deported
Boniface Mwabukusi, president of the Tanganyika Law Society, released a statement that contradicted earlier beliefs about the activists’ status. “It has now come to our attention that, contrary to initial information, the two individuals have not yet been deported. We have since established that they are no longer in police custody but remain held by the Tanzania Immigration Department,” Mwabukusi wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
He added that a legal team was actively monitoring the situation on the ground and exploring all necessary legal remedies to ensure that due process is followed and the activists are released safely. “We are working toward a just and timely resolution. This issue transcends legal boundaries and touches on basic human rights,” Mwabukusi noted.
Disappearance Following Police Custody Transfer
Later on Tuesday night, Sema Ukweli, a civic organization aligned with Boniface Mwangi’s activism, issued a worrying update. The group claimed that the two activists were taken from the police station in a military vehicle, possibly en route to the airport. However, no names matching theirs appeared on passenger manifests for Nairobi-bound flights, deepening the mystery of their whereabouts.
“It is very concerning that the Tanzanian government can unlawfully detain foreign nationals without following due process, and continue to keep them incommunicado,” Sema Ukweli said in a public statement. The organization further condemned the lack of transparency and called for urgent action from international observers and diplomatic entities.
A Mission to Observe: From Legal Delegation to Detention
Mwangi and Atuhaire were part of a delegation of human rights lawyers and activists from Kenya and Uganda who had traveled to Tanzania to attend the ongoing treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Lissu, a former Tanzanian presidential candidate and prominent critic of the ruling party, faces non-bailable treason charges—an offense punishable by death under Tanzanian law.
Upon arrival at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, the majority of the delegation was denied entry. While Boniface Mwangi was initially allowed into the country, he was subsequently detained, sparking alarm among regional human rights groups and legal societies.
Regional Outcry and Demand for Accountability
The East Africa Law Society, a regional legal body representing lawyers across East African countries, has issued a strong statement demanding that Tanzanian authorities provide immediate clarity on the location and well-being of the two activists.
“We urge authorities in Tanzania to allow the families of Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire to communicate with them and give us accurate information of their whereabouts at this moment,” said Ramah Abubakar, the society’s president.
Prominent rights organization Vocal Africa echoed the demand, stating: “Boniface Mwangi is still missing. His family is in anguish. The Tanzanian government continues to hold him and Agather Atuhaire without cause. We demand their immediate release.”
Another group, Inuka Kenya, went further to criticize what it called “dangerous silence” from both President William Ruto of Kenya and President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, suggesting their lack of response signals complicity in Tanzania’s actions. “The silence from the governments of Kenya and Uganda reeks of complicity in the actions of [Tanzanian President Samia] Suluhu,” the group asserted.
Kenyan Government Response: A Diplomatic Tightrope
Following intense public criticism, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi, said late Tuesday that the Kenyan embassy in Tanzania had been engaged on the matter. While Mudavadi assured the public that the situation was being handled with urgency, many observers criticized the Kenyan government’s response as weak and delayed.
“What kind of message are we sending to the region if our own nationals can be detained and held without communication, and we say nothing?” one Nairobi-based rights lawyer told local media under condition of anonymity.
Tanzania’s Growing Clampdown on Civic Freedoms
This incident has drawn renewed attention to Tanzania’s increasingly authoritarian posture under President Samia Suluhu Hassan. In recent months, human rights watchdogs have raised alarm over the shrinking space for political opposition, civic discourse, and independent activism in the country.
President Suluhu, addressing the matter indirectly during a public event on Wednesday, warned foreign activists against “interfering in Tanzania’s internal affairs,” vowing to protect the country’s sovereignty at all costs. “We will not allow outsiders to meddle in our judicial processes or internal governance,” she stated.
A Regional Crisis in the Making?
The prolonged detention—and now, disappearance—of Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire threatens to strain Kenya-Uganda-Tanzania diplomatic relations, especially as public pressure mounts on East African governments to defend the rights of their citizens abroad.
International human rights bodies, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have been alerted to the case, with preliminary calls for a coordinated investigation into the Tanzanian government’s conduct. Legal experts suggest that Tanzania may have violated multiple provisions of both international human rights law and regional East African Community protocols regarding the treatment of foreign nationals.
Conclusion
As the hours stretch into days with no verified communication from the detained activists, the situation grows increasingly dire. With rising pressure from civil society, legal associations, and the public, Tanzanian authorities are under the spotlight to demonstrate accountability, uphold human rights, and provide clarity.
For now, the East African region waits—with anxiety, frustration, and an urgent demand for answers.