Poghisio links Mwabili’s torture to Tanzania’s pre-election panic
By Kiprono Keileb, July 28, 2025A wave of concern is sweeping across East Africa following disturbing reports that Kenyan human rights activist Mwabili was tortured while in Tanzania. The incident has sparked outcry from civil society and raised serious questions about political repression and growing tensions in the region.
Mwabili had travelled to Tanzania in July 2025 to take part in what was expected to be a peaceful civil society exchange program. However, his visit took a dark turn, according to fellow activist Hussein Khalid.
Speaking on a local television station on July 28, 2025, former Senate Majority Leader Samuel Poghisio said Mwabili’s ordeal reflects a deeper sense of fear and insecurity brewing within President Samia Suluhu’s administration and the ruling CCM party as the country heads toward the October general election.
“There is a lot of fear within President Samia Suluhu’s government and CCM heading into the October elections. The government thinks that any Kenyan activist going to Tanzania is advocating for the opposition,” Poghisio told the broadcaster.
His comments have now intensified public scrutiny into what civil society groups are calling an attempt to silence regional human rights voices.
What triggered the arrest remains unclear, but multiple rights organisations in Kenya and Tanzania say Mwabili was never charged in court and that his detention was politically motivated.
The Tanzanian government has yet to issue an official statement, but the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs is reportedly in talks with Tanzanian authorities to establish the facts.
This action appears politically driven, with activists and opposition supporters increasingly being viewed as threats in what analysts call a “tense election environment” in Tanzania.
Poghisio warned the move could undermine East Africa’s tradition of cross-border civic engagement, stating:
“If a peaceful activist can be tortured across our borders simply for being in the country, we’re heading in a dangerous direction,” he said.
Mwabili is currently recuperating in Nairobi. Rights groups say they plan to petition regional bodies such as the East African Community and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, urging them to step in and take action.
As the countdown to the Tanzanian elections continues, Mwabili’s experience has become a symbol of growing unease in the region, a worrying reminder that civic freedoms may be increasingly under threat.