“They Inserted Objects in My Rectum”: Boniface Mwangi Details Brutal Torture in Tanzanian Custody

NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi broke down in tears during a press briefing today as he recounted the horrific torture he endured while detained in Tanzania last month.

Mwangi, alongside Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire, was subjected to severe physical and sexual abuse during their four-day detention, sparking widespread outrage and calls for justice across East Africa.

Mwangi described being stripped naked, tied upside down, and beaten on the soles of his feet by four Tanzanian captors.

“I was screaming so hard, but there were no tears coming out because of how painful it was,” he said, his voice trembling.

To muffle his cries, his captors stuffed underwear in his mouth and played gospel music in the background.

The assault escalated when, during an interrogation about his presence in Tanzania, one of the captors applied lubricant to his rectum and inserted objects, leaving Mwangi visibly shattered as he shared the ordeal.

Atuhaire, a Ugandan lawyer and journalist, also spoke at the briefing, revealing she was stripped naked, beaten, and sexually violated after refusing to undress.

“The first blow was to my back,” she recalled, adding that the treatment she received in Tanzania was worse than what she had experienced in Uganda, where she often felt targeted for her activism.

“I expected Tanzania to be better, but it convinced me it’s more dictatorial than Uganda,” she said.

The activists had traveled to Dar es Salaam on May 19 to attend the treason trial of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who faces charges for advocating electoral reforms ahead of the country’s 2025 elections.

Their detention began after Mwangi reported a late-night standoff with suspected Tanzanian officers at his hotel, a situation he documented on social media, expressing fears for his safety.

Both activists were arrested, held incommunicado, and tortured under what Mwangi described as orders from a “state security” official for a “Tanzanian treatment.”

Mwangi and Atuhaire were deported on May 22 and found abandoned at the borders of their respective countries—Mwangi in Ukunda, Kwale County, and Atuhaire at the Mutukula border between Uganda and Tanzania.

Mwangi was barely able to walk upon his release, requiring urgent medical attention in Nairobi, while Atuhaire bore visible scars from the abuse.

The incident has drawn sharp criticism from regional and international bodies.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs called for an “immediate and full investigation” into the allegations, noting Atuhaire’s recognition as a 2024 International Women of Courage awardee.

Amnesty International and other rights groups have echoed the demand, condemning Tanzanian authorities for what they describe as a pattern of suppressing dissent under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration.

Hassan had previously warned foreign activists against “interfering” in Tanzania, a statement rights groups argue has emboldened state violence.

Mwangi expressed deep disappointment in the Kenyan government, accusing it of siding with Tanzania and abandoning him despite his history of advocating for others across East Africa, including Ugandan activist Bobi Wine.

“I’ve traveled to support others, but this time I felt let down,” he said.

The Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs had issued a statement during the ordeal, protesting Tanzania’s denial of consular access to Mwangi, but critics argue the response was inadequate.

The detention of Mwangi and Atuhaire was part of a broader crackdown on activists attending Lissu’s trial. Other human rights defenders, including Martha Karua, Gloria Kimani, Lynn Ngugi, Hussein Khalid, Hanifa Adan, and former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, were deported from Tanzania between May 18 and 19.

The incident has heightened tensions between Kenya and Tanzania, with activists vowing to seek justice for the abuses endured.

As Mwangi and Atuhaire recover from their trauma, their accounts have shed light on the escalating repression in Tanzania, raising urgent questions about the state of human rights in the region as the country approaches its 2025 elections.