The detention of Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi in Tanzania has ignited widespread condemnation, with Kenyan Senator Okiya Omtatah leading the charge.

Mwangi, a prominent human rights defender, was arrested on Monday, May 19, in Dar es Salaam while attending the treason trial of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.

His ordeal, marked by torture and incommunicado detention, has raised serious questions about the state of human rights in the region.

Omtatah’s scathing critique

Senator Okiya Omtatah took to X on Thursday to denounce Mwangi’s treatment. “This is a direct assault on our shared East African values,” he described it.

In a powerful statement, Omtatah emphasised the betrayal of the East African Community’s (EAC) principles.

“What happened to Boniface Mwangi in Tanzania is a stain on the conscience of the East African Community. @bonifacemwangi was arrested before he could attend a public court hearing by authorities in Tanzania. No charge. No lawyer. No access to his consulate and torture in silence,” he said.

He further argued that the EAC’s promise of Jumuiya – a united community with soft borders, free speech, and dignity – was undermined by such actions.

“We carry one passport. It must mean something. We walk with one freedom,” Omtatah declared, urging the EAC to protect its citizens rather than becoming a union of presidents and not citizens.

Mwangi’s harrowing ordeal

Boniface Mwangi’s detention began on Monday when he and Ugandan journalist Agather Atuhaire were arrested at a Dar es Salaam hotel. The activists were part of a delegation observing Lissu’s trial, which has drawn international attention due to its political implications ahead of Tanzania’s October elections.

On Thursday, he was released and deported, dumped in Ukunda where he was picked by human rights activists and his wife in Ukunda.

“Words can’t express my gratitude to all of you for raising your voices to get me released. I say ‘me’ because we are yet to know the whereabouts of my friend and comrade, @AAgather.

“We went through the worst form of torture and were threatened with public humiliation if we revealed what they did to us,” Mwangi posted on his X account.

Mwangi’s family confirmed he required urgent medical care upon his return to Kenya, where he was flown to Nairobi for treatment.