Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi has spoken out following his release from detention in Tanzania, expressing profound disappointment with the Kenyan government for failing to support him during his ordeal.
Speaking in Nairobi alongside Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire, Mwangi recounted the traumatic experience of being abducted, blindfolded, and assaulted while detained by Tanzanian authorities. He revealed that the captors warned him against returning to Tanzania or speaking out about the abuse, threatening his life if he defied them.
“The day before they released me, they warned me: ‘We are letting you go, but if you ever come back to this country, we’ll kill you. If you go back home and speak about what we did to you, we’ll find you and kill you,’” Mwangi said.
The activist was released early in the morning, driven for nearly an hour, and dropped off with strict instructions not to look back. He was given 20,000 Tanzanian shillings and Sh400 for transport. A waiting bodaboda rider ferried him to the border, a move Mwangi suspects was pre-arranged.
Despite the trauma, Mwangi remains defiant. “We were not and we did not hide the reasons for our visit,” he said, explaining that the trip was to stand in solidarity with fellow human rights defenders.
However, what stung him most was what he described as betrayal by his own government. “My government let me down. It sided with Suluhu’s government and claimed we were interfering with Tanzanian politics,” he stated.
Mwangi, known for his outspoken advocacy across the continent, reiterated his commitment to the fight for justice and human rights. “I have been to Tanzania before to visit another political prisoner. I was in Uganda when Bobi Wine was under house arrest. I have done that in many African countries because I am an African and I belong to this continent. Africa is home,” he said.
The incident has sparked outrage among regional human rights circles, raising concerns over shrinking civic space and the safety of activists in East Africa. Despite threats and setbacks, Mwangi has vowed to continue his work, declaring, “We will not be silenced.”
