When Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan journalist Agather Atuhaire flew to Tanzania on May 18, 2025, they thought they were simply attending a cause they believed in. They planned to attend a court session in support of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, then head back home.
Instead of returning to Nairobi and Kampala, they were violently taken from their hotel and dragged through a nightmare that lasted days. At a press briefing, the two opened up about their horrifying experience. Their journey quickly turned into one of beatings, threats, and brutal sexual abuse, allegedly carried out by Tanzanian security forces and hired gangs.
Boniface shared how it all started with a phone call from the Kenyan Ambassador to Tanzania. He was told he would be deported, and he was okay with that. But instead of being sent home, he was taken to a police station and beaten.
“They said I came to destroy their country,” he said.
Things got worse at another station where a man named Mafwele threatened to rape Agather, right in front of their lawyers. Boniface recalled being mocked, asked personal questions, and told he’d be circumcised again.
Later, they were blindfolded and thrown into a Land Cruiser. The two were taken to what would become their torture chamber. Boniface described being stripped, tied upside down, and beaten while gospel music played to mask his screams. He was then sexually assaulted by multiple men using objects.
“They told me to say I was enjoying it. I bled,” he said.
Agather’s experience was just as harrowing. She was blindfolded and handcuffed while they tortured her feet and used objects to assault her.
“They were told to cause as much pain as possible,” she said.
The two were eventually dumped in unknown places. Boniface was given a small amount of cash and dropped near the Kenyan border. Agather was left in the same way.
They both named Faustine Mafwele as the man behind the attacks and said public officials gave the orders with no fear or shame.
“The level of impunity was shocking,” Agather said. “If this doesn’t scare East Africans, I don’t know what will.”
Now, Boniface and Agather say they’re taking legal action. And they’re grateful to the people, especially East Africans, who spoke up during their disappearance. “We’re alive because of you,” said Agather. “No guns, no money. Just your noise. We only have each other.”
By Lucky Anyanje
