By Samuel Njoroge
DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA – A Ugandan activist, Agather Atuhaire, has alleged that she was raped while detained in Tanzania, where she was held for several days before being found abandoned at the border with Uganda. Atuhaire, along with Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi, had traveled to Tanzania to show solidarity with opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who was facing treason charges.
Atuhaire shared her harrowing account with the BBC, describing the alleged rape in graphic detail and showing a scar from where she said she had been handcuffed. “The pain was too much,” she said, adding that she was “screaming so hard” that her assailants had to cover her mouth. She alleges that individuals in plain clothes blindfolded her, before hitting, violently stripping, and sexually assaulting her.
Mwangi, who was also held incommunicado, was found abandoned on a roadside near the Kenyan border. He recounted his alleged experience in a post on X, stating, “We had been tortured, and we were told to strip naked and to go bathe. We couldn’t walk and were told to crawl and go wash off the blood.” He also stated he heard Atuhaire “groaning in pain” during their captivity.
According to Mwangi, their captors were taking orders from a “state security” official who instructed them to give the activists “Tanzanian treatment.”
The pair were arrested despite being allowed into Tanzania, after they were denied access to Lissu’s hearing.
The Tanzanian authorities have not yet commented on the allegations.
Atuhaire’s rights group, Agora Centre for Research, previously reported that she showed “indications of torture” after being found at the border on Thursday night. Uganda’s High Commissioner to Tanzania, Fred Mwesigye, confirmed Atuhaire’s safe return home and her warm welcome by family.
Mwangi’s disappearance had triggered widespread concern in Kenya, with his family, civil society, and human rights groups staging protests demanding his release. The Kenyan government formally protested against his detention on Wednesday, accusing Tanzanian authorities of denying consular access.
The incidents have sparked condemnation from regional and international bodies. Regional rights groups are demanding a full investigation into the alleged mistreatment of the activists and have urged East African countries to uphold human rights treaties.
The US Department of State’s Bureau of Africa Affairs expressed deep concern over the reports, noting that Atuhaire was recognized as an “International Women of Courage Awardee” in 2024. “We call for an immediate and full investigation into the allegations of human rights abuses. We urge all countries in the region to hold to account those responsible for violating human rights, including torture,” the bureau tweeted.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan had warned earlier in the week against activists from neighboring countries “meddling” in Tanzania’s affairs and causing “chaos.” This statement has been interpreted by some as being connected to the activists’ detention and subsequent allegations.
