Journalist and activist Boniface Mwangi cannot walk properly after being tortured by Tanzanian Intelligence officers, his lawyer has told Kenyans.co.ke.
According to the lawyer, Mwangi was abandoned in Ukunda, Kwale County, which is approximately 92 kilometres north of the Tanzanian border at Lunga Lunga. The activist was deported by road from Dar es Salaam.
His lawyer, James Kamau, told Kenyans.co.ke that the family plans to airlift him to Nairobi for specialised treatment.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi confirmed that Mwangi had been deported to Kenya by road, ending days of uncertainty.
"When we found him in Ukunda, he did not look like he was in good condition. He looked tortured," the lawyer confirmed.
Further, the lawyer revealed that Mwangi likely sustained injuries during his three-day ordeal in neighbouring Tanzania, since when he was found, he could hardly walk and appeared very frail.
The activist's family, despite initially having plans to airlift him back to Nairobi, decided to bide their time to pave the way for first aid treatment in Ukunda before he was able to travel.
He added, "We intend to airlift him to Nairobi, but he needs urgent medical care, which we will seek here in Ukunda before the flight."
Images of the activist after the ordeal have since emerged online, showing Mwangi in a deplorable state, clad in white shorts and a white vest. Other activists joined Mwangi and his wife in Ukunda moments after his discovery.
When he went missing on Monday, Mwangi had gone to Tanzania to offer support to opposition figure Tundu Lissu. What ensued was the deportation of several activists, including People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua, former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, Vocal Africa CEO Hussein Khalid, and activist Hanifa Adan.
Before he went missing, Mwangi was embroiled in a heated verbal altercation with some individuals purporting to be Tanzanian authorities at his hotel room in Dar es Salaam. The spat stemmed from the activist's unwillingness to open the door when prompted by Tanzanian authorities, as he insisted he did not feel safe.
In the video, which went viral earlier in the week, Mwangi details his ordeal as he dared authorities to break down the door since he felt unsafe.
At the time of publication of this article, Ugandan national Agather Atuhaire, who was alongside Boniface Mwangi, is still unaccounted for.
Meanwhile, hundreds of activists had started trooping into the central business district and to the Tanzanian Embassy in Kenya to demand the immediate release of Mwangi. This all took place hours before news that the activist had been found.
