Shocking allegations of abuse, torture, and sexual harassment have surfaced following the detention of Ugandan journalist Agatha Atuhaire and Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi in Tanzania. The two were reportedly targeted by Tanzanian authorities while in the country to support opposition leader Tundu Lissu during a court appearance in Dar es Salaam.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Atuhaire gave a harrowing account of her experience, detailing a series of violations she says she endured at the hands of security officers. She described being stripped to her underwear, beaten, and subjected to invasive medical procedures while in custody.
“They removed all my clothes and left me in my underwear. They beat me. Then I was taken to a clinic, and they inserted stuff into me,” Atuhaire recounted emotionally.
She alleged that while restrained and physically weakened, unknown substances were injected into her body. “I had no strength left to resist,” she said.
As her condition worsened, Atuhaire noted, authorities began administering large amounts of painkillers, apparently concerned about the state in which she might leave detention. “They kept giving me painkillers. They almost overdosed me,” she said, adding that the physical toll of the abuse left her unable to walk for three days due to severe swelling in her feet.
“I couldn’t step down. The soles of my feet felt like if I stepped on something, my skin would burst,” she said.
Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi, who accompanied Atuhaire to Tanzania, also shared his disturbing experience. He claimed he was ambushed at his hotel in the early morning hours by a group of men identifying themselves as government officials.
“I screamed throughout the hotel and rushed to my colleagues. The men followed me and insisted they wanted to question me,” Mwangi said.
The disturbing incident comes just weeks after global commemorations of World Press Freedom Day, which spotlighted the growing threats faced by journalists and human rights defenders, particularly across the East African region.
The accounts have sparked international outrage, with human rights groups calling for an immediate and independent investigation into the allegations. They also raise urgent questions about the safety of foreign journalists and activists operating in Tanzania, especially amid a politically sensitive environment.
Neither Tanzanian authorities nor the country’s police spokesperson had publicly responded to the allegations by the time of publication.
As calls for accountability mount, Atuhaire and Mwangi’s experiences underscore the vulnerability of media practitioners and activists in environments where freedom of expression remains under threat.
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