By Kennedy Nalyanya
Renowned Kenyan photojournalist and activist Boniface Mwangi, together with Ugandan lawyer Agather Atuhaire and seven East African civil society organizations, have launched legal action at the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) against the Government of Tanzania. They accuse the authorities of egregious human rights violations—including enforced disappearance, torture, sexual abuse, arbitrary detention, and unlawful deportation—and are demanding public apologies and compensation of at least USD 1 million each, approximately Ksh. 130 million, from the governments of Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.
The plaintiffs argue that Tanzanian authorities:
-
abducted Mwangi and Atuhaire from their hotel and unlawfully detained them in secret locations,
-
subjected them to beatings, suspension by handcuffs, and foot whippings,
-
inflicted sexual violence including rectal insertion of objects and smearing of excrement,
-
denied them due process, and later dumped them near the borders of Kenya and Uganda without explanation or legal recourse.
According to Mwangi’s account, the pair had arrived in Dar-es-Salaam on May 18, 2025 to observe the treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu. The next day, immigration and police officers allegedly arrested them at their hotel. Mwangi says they were first beaten at the immigration office, then again at a police station, before being taken to a remote compound by officers who blindfolded and handcuffed them. There, around seven men and a woman suspended them upside down, beat the soles of their feet with wooden planks, gagged them (Mwangi had his underwear stuffed in his mouth), and sexually violated them using hands or objects. They were also photographed, the attackers warning them not to disclose their ordeal. Two days later, Mwangi was dumped at the Kenya border and Atuhaire at the Uganda border. Mwangi said: “I didn’t see us coming out of there alive."
Observers—including Amnesty International, the ICJ, and UN human rights experts—have condemned these actions as violations under Tanzanian law, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the East African Community Treaty. Amnesty noted there have been more than 200 enforced disappearance cases in Tanzania since 2019.
The activists and civil society organizations have formally referenced the EAC Treaty before the East African Court of Justice, invoking its mandate to enforce compliance by partner states with treaty obligations. They argue that Tanzania’s conduct not only breached national laws and human rights obligations, but also infringed the regional treaty’s commitments to transparency, accountability, freedom of movement, and protection of human rights. They demand the court declare Tanzania in violation, order reparations, and require public apologies from the governments of Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya.
The case has galvanized civil society across East Africa. Kenyan and Ugandan rights groups have called for independent investigations and accountability for Tanzanian officials implicated in the abuses. The United States Department of State has urged a full and transparent investigation; Amnesty International and human rights coalitions have demanded justice and protection for defenders operating within the region.
With the 2025 general elections in Tanzania approaching, critics warn of an intensifying crackdown on dissent. President Samia Suluhu Hassan, once praised for liberalizing reforms, faces mounting pressure over the escalating reports of disappearances, detentions and killings of opponents and activists
This EACJ filing marks a pivotal moment: a regional push for legal accountability that could test the strength of the East African Community’s commitment to human rights and rule of law.
Add comment
Comments