Boniface Mwangi & Agather Atuhaire Take on Tanzania in $2M Torture Case: “What Happened Was Evil”

In a bold and unprecedented move, renowned Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan journalist-turned-human rights defender Agather Atuhaire have filed a landmark case at the East African Court of Justice against the Tanzanian government.  

The duo, who accuse Tanzanian authorities of abduction, sexual abuse, and torture, are demanding $1 million (approximately Ksh129 million) each in compensation, alongside a formal public apology from Tanzania, and also from the Kenyan and Ugandan governments, which they claim were complicit in their suffering. 

The lawsuit, officially lodged on Friday, July 18, is being supported by at least seven civil society organizations across East Africa.  

Mwangi and Atuhaire allege that they were brutally detained, tortured, and silenced during a trip to Tanzania in solidarity with opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is facing treason charges.  

Their detention, which lasted over three days, was marked by physical injuries, psychological trauma, and attempted humiliation, all allegedly orchestrated under President Samia Suluhu’s administration. 

Mwangi, who was arrested on May 19 in Dar es Salaam and later deported by road to Kenya, described the experience as “evil” and a deliberate effort to suppress dissent. “We are going to court not only to fight for justice, but to show the world what happened to us in the dark,” he stated in a powerful release.  

Images posted online show Mwangi with severe foot injuries, requiring emergency airlifting to Nairobi for urgent medical care. Meanwhile, Atuhaire was found in critical condition at the Mutukula border on May 23, with reports indicating she was subjected to abuse while in detention. 

The two activists are also demanding psychosocial rehabilitation for the trauma they endured. Their legal team has further accused the governments of Kenya and Uganda of failing to protect their citizens, calling for accountability across the region.  

The case is expected to test the strength of regional human rights protections, and whether East African courts can stand up to state-sponsored abuse.