NewsHail
23 May 2025
A Ugandan activist, Agather Atuhaire, was arrested in Tanzania. She was held for days and then found at the border with signs of torture, her group says.
She had been held with Boniface Mwangi, a Kenyan activist. He was also found at the border of his home country on Thursday.
Mwangi said on social media, “We were tortured. They told us to take off our clothes and go wash. We could not walk. We had to crawl to wash off the blood.”
The two had gone to Tanzania to support Tundu Lissu, an opposition leader. He had gone to court on Monday on treason charges.
Tanzanian officials allowed them into the country. But they were not allowed to attend the hearing. Soon after, they were arrested.
Tanzania’s government has not talked about the torture claims.
On Monday, President Samia Suluhu Hassan said she would not allow foreign activists to cause trouble in Tanzania.
On Thursday night, Tanzanian officers left Atuhaire at the border. She had been held since Monday. This was shared by the Agora Centre for Research, her group in Uganda.
Uganda’s high commissioner to Tanzania, Fred Mwesigye, said she is now back home. Her family welcomed her.
Her legs were swollen, which friends said was from the torture.
“She was dumped at the border at night. There are signs of torture,” said Spire Ssentongo, another activist from the Agora Centre.
Mwangi said he heard Atuhaire crying in pain when they were held together on Tuesday.
“If we tried to speak, they beat us and cursed at us. They later moved us in different cars,” he said.
He added that their captors followed orders from a state security officer. That officer told them to give the activists a “Tanzanian treatment.”
Atuhaire has not yet spoken about what happened to her.
Mwangi’s arrest caused anger in Kenya. His family, rights groups, and others held protests and asked for his release.
On Wednesday, Kenya’s government made a formal protest. They said Tanzania refused to give them access to Mwangi, even after many requests.
On Thursday, Kenya’s foreign ministry said they still had not spoken to him.
Now, regional rights groups are calling for a full investigation. They say all East African countries must respect human rights.
