Kenya’s Foreign Minister confirmed Thursday that prominent activist Boniface Mwangi, detained in Tanzania since Monday, has been released.
Mwangi had travelled to Dar es Salaam to support Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is facing treason charges.
Rights groups, including Amnesty International, said Mwangi was held incommunicado by Tanzanian military officers along with Ugandan activist Agatha Atuhaire.
Kenya’s Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi said diplomatic efforts secured Mwangi’s release but gave no further details.
Mwangi was reportedly deported and left in a remote border town, according to local outlet Daily Nation, citing his family.
Speaking in Nairobi, Mwangi said he and Atuhaire were “treated worse than dogs,” describing blindfolds, chains, and “gruesome torture.”
His wife, Njeri Mwangi, told AFP he was injured, with swollen feet, following days of mistreatment in custody.
Concern remains for Atuhaire’s whereabouts, as her release has not been confirmed and her condition is unknown.
Mwangi urged the international community to act, claiming his ordeal reflects the reality for Tanzanian activists ahead of this year’s elections.
Over 20 NGOs had urged Kenya’s government to demand Mwangi’s immediate release amid a growing public outcry.
Hussein Khalid, head of Vocal Africa, described the activists’ ordeal as “very severe torture,” and appealed for Atuhaire’s safe return.
Uganda’s High Commissioner to Tanzania confirmed efforts to locate Atuhaire, but said Tanzanian authorities had yet to respond.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan warned earlier this week that foreign activists would not be allowed to interfere in domestic affairs.
She instructed security forces to block what she termed “ill-mannered individuals” from crossing political lines.
Analysts say the incident reflects shrinking democratic space across East Africa, with opposition leaders facing mounting repression.
