Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris has called on President Samia Suluhu to ensure justice to Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan lawyer Agather Atuhaire, who were reportedly tortured while in detention in Tanzania.
Passaris, in a statement on Tuesday, June 2, called on the Tanzanian leader to take action against the officers who were involved in the alleged torture of the activists.
Mwangi and Atuhaire were arrested in Dar es Salaam on May 20, 2025, while attending a court hearing for Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who faces treason charges.
Passaris condemned the reported torture and abuse of Boniface and Agather while they were detained in Tanzania, and urged President Suluhu to ensure such torture and humiliation are not repeated.
“I call on her, not just as a head of state but as a mother and champion for change, to ensure that such atrocities are not repeated and that justice is served,” Passaris said.
According to Mwangi, they were subjected to severe torture, including being taken to a secret location under orders from a top Tanzanian state security official.
In a press briefing on June 2, Mwangi narrated that he was stripped naked, flogged, and even sodomised using objects during his time in captivity in Tanzania.
"They tied me upside down, and then they started beating my feet. I was screaming so hard, but there were no tears coming out because of how painful it was. One of them suggested that they put underwear in my mouth, so they did. To drown my screams, they were playing gospel music," he stated.
Agatha, on the other hand, recalled being stripped naked and tortured during the ordeal, with the first blow being to her back after she refused to undress. She was forcefully undressed shortly after and violated as well.
After going missing for three days in Tanzania, the two were found dumped at the borders of their country and Tanzania after being deported via road.
Passaris said that their unlawful arrest and inhumane treatment are not only violations of their rights but also a stain on the region's collective conscience.
“As a mother, legislator, and defender of human rights, I am deeply disturbed by the accounts of torture, sexual abuse, and humiliation they endured. They are not the values that define our continent, our leadership, or our future,” she added.
