Kenyan activist and photojournalist Boniface Mwangi has made harrowing allegations of sexual torture during a recent detention in Tanzania, sparking regional and international outcry. Speaking at a press conference in Nairobi on Monday, Mwangi tearfully described being abducted, stripped naked, hung upside down, beaten, and sexually assaulted by Tanzanian security forces last month. Mwangi had traveled to Tanzania in solidarity with opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is facing treason charges. He was detained alongside Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire, who has also alleged she was raped in custody. Their whereabouts were unknown for days, prompting widespread concern from human rights organizations.
Detailing his abuse, Mwangi said officers forced him to say “asante” (“thank you” in Swahili) to Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan during the assaults. He added that his torturers filmed the incidents and threatened to leak the footage if he spoke out. “I have wounds all over my body, including my private parts, two broken toes, and fractures. I’m still struggling to stay alive,” Mwangi told the BBC.
Tanzanian police in Dar es Salaam have denied the allegations. Police chief Jumanne Muliro dismissed Mwangi’s account as “hearsay” and challenged him to file an official complaint. The Tanzanian government has not issued a formal statement. Mwangi’s claims have prompted calls for an independent investigation. Amnesty International urged Tanzanian authorities to hold perpetrators accountable, describing the abuse as “inhuman.” The US State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs also expressed deep concern, particularly noting that Atuhaire had been honored as a 2024 International Woman of Courage by the U.S. government.
Rights groups accuse President Hassan’s administration of escalating repression ahead of Tanzania’s general elections scheduled for October 2025. Several foreign activists, including Kenya’s former Justice Minister Martha Karua and ex-Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, were recently denied entry and deported. Mwangi has called for his medical records to be made public to ensure accountability and to raise awareness of growing authoritarianism across East Africa. “This isn’t just about Tanzania,” he said. “It’s about how broken our countries are. But I’m still fighting, because what happened to me should never happen to anyone else.”
