By Moses Desire Kouyo
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania — Prominent Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi has been arrested in Tanzania while attending the treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, sparking outrage among regional civil society and human rights advocates.
Mwangi, celebrated across East Africa for his bold stance against corruption and police brutality, was reportedly detained at the Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam on Monday alongside Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire. The pair had travelled to show solidarity with Lissu, who is facing charges widely seen as politically motivated.
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Mwangi’s wife, Njeri Mwangi, told AFP on Tuesday that Tanzanian authorities were yet to decide whether to press charges or deport him, adding that she had been unable to reach her husband since his arrest. Their lawyer, Jebra Kambole, confirmed they were being held at the city’s central police station.
The arrests come amid growing regional concern over Tanzania’s political climate under President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who on Monday warned that “foreign activists” would not be allowed to interfere in domestic affairs. “Do not allow ill-mannered individuals from other countries to cross the line here,” she said, in a statement interpreted by many as a direct rebuke to international observers.
Mwangi was part of a broader East African delegation that included figures like Martha Karua, former Kenyan presidential running mate and respected human rights advocate. Karua was denied entry and deported upon arrival at the Tanzanian airport along with several other activists—an action that rights groups say underscores the Tanzanian government’s shrinking tolerance for dissent and external scrutiny.
The Chadema party, led by Lissu, has been barred from contesting Tanzania’s upcoming October elections after persistent calls for electoral reforms—deepening concerns over political repression in the country.
The incident echoes similar developments in Uganda, where opposition figure Kizza Besigye is also facing treason charges. Karua, who is part of Besigye’s legal team, travelled to Uganda on Tuesday ahead of his court hearing, confirming her smooth entry with a brief statement: “Entry was without a hitch.”
Civil society organizations across the region have condemned the arrests and deportations, describing them as part of a worrying trend of democratic backsliding and cross-border intimidation of opposition voices and human rights defenders.
As Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya grapple with the tension between sovereignty and regional solidarity, the treatment of activists like Mwangi may set a dangerous precedent for civil liberties across East Africa.Dar es Salaam, Tanzania — Prominent Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi has been arrested in Tanzania while attending the treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, sparking outrage among regional civil society and human rights advocates.
Mwangi, celebrated across East Africa for his bold stance against corruption and police brutality, was reportedly detained at the Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam on Monday alongside Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire. The pair had travelled to show solidarity with Lissu, who is facing charges widely seen as politically motivated.
Mwangi’s wife, Njeri Mwangi, told AFP on Tuesday that Tanzanian authorities were yet to decide whether to press charges or deport him, adding that she had been unable to reach her husband since his arrest. Their lawyer, Jebra Kambole, confirmed they were being held at the city’s central police station.
The arrests come amid growing regional concern over Tanzania’s political climate under President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who on Monday warned that “foreign activists” would not be allowed to interfere in domestic affairs. “Do not allow ill-mannered individuals from other countries to cross the line here,” she said, in a statement interpreted by many as a direct rebuke to international observers.
Mwangi was part of a broader East African delegation that included figures like Martha Karua, former Kenyan presidential running mate and respected human rights advocate. Karua was denied entry and deported upon arrival at the Tanzanian airport along with several other activists—an action that rights groups say underscores the Tanzanian government’s shrinking tolerance for dissent and external scrutiny.
The Chadema party, led by Lissu, has been barred from contesting Tanzania’s upcoming October elections after persistent calls for electoral reforms—deepening concerns over political repression in the country.
The incident echoes similar developments in Uganda, where opposition figure Kizza Besigye is also facing treason charges. Karua, who is part of Besigye’s legal team, travelled to Uganda on Tuesday ahead of his court hearing, confirming her smooth entry with a brief statement: “Entry was without a hitch.”
Civil society organizations across the region have condemned the arrests and deportations, describing them as part of a worrying trend of democratic backsliding and cross-border intimidation of opposition voices and human rights defenders.
As Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya grapple with the tension between sovereignty and regional solidarity, the treatment of activists like Mwangi may set a dangerous precedent for civil liberties across East Africa.