Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi has been confirmed detained in Tanzania, stirring tension across East Africa and raising serious concerns over the treatment of foreign activists. The news was officially confirmed by Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, on Tuesday, May 20, during an interview with Citizen TV.
Mwangi, a vocal human rights campaigner, had travelled to Tanzania to attend the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who faces treason charges. But what was supposed to be a show of solidarity quickly turned into a diplomatic concern. On May 19, Mwangi was arrested in Dar es Salaam under unclear circumstances, alongside Ugandan journalist Agatha Atuhaire.
According to Mudavadi, the Tanzanian authorities have yet to provide a detailed explanation for the arrest or the reports of deportation. While the Foreign Affairs Ministry is in contact with Mwangi, efforts to clarify the situation remain ongoing.
“We hope he will be released and helped to return home,” Mudavadi stated, hinting that Mwangi’s presence may have unsettled Tanzanian officials during a tense political climate.
Before his arrest, Mwangi posted on social media claiming that armed men had surrounded his hotel room, warning that his life was in danger. Later, the Tanganyika Law Society’s president, Boniface Mwabukusi, confirmed that both Mwangi and Atuhaire had been deported under the supervision of Tanzania’s Immigration Services Department. They had reportedly been detained at the Central Police Station in Dar es Salaam since Monday.
One allegation suggests that Mwangi entered the country using false information. However, his sudden disappearance and lack of communication triggered an alarm from fellow activists. Hussein Khalid, a prominent human rights defender, said all efforts to trace the pair through official channels had failed, sparking fears over their safety.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu has since defended her government’s actions. She warned of growing foreign interference and accused some activists of trying to destabilize Tanzania after causing unrest in their own countries.
Suluhu reaffirmed her stance to protect Tanzania’s peace and sovereignty.
As pressure mounts, eyes across the region are now on Tanzania to provide transparency, and on Kenya to ensure the safe return of one of its most outspoken citizens.
By Risper Akinyi