Martha Karua, a veteran Kenyan politician and leader of the People’s Liberation Party, is calling for swift international action after two East African human rights activists were allegedly tortured while in custody in Tanzania.
In a strongly-worded letter sent to the African Union and three other regional bodies, Karua accused Tanzanian authorities of detaining Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan journalist Agather Atuhaire without due process. She said the pair had travelled to Tanzania to observe the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu but were arrested shortly after landing.
“This is not just about two individuals,” Karua told The New York Times. “It’s about the safety of anyone in East Africa who dares to speak out. This conduct by the Tanzanian government is unacceptable and deeply worrying.”
Karua’s letter, also sent to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the East African Community, and the Southern African Development Community, alleges that the activists were held incommunicado and subjected to physical abuse.
“We were told to strip naked, crawl and wash off the blood,” Mwangi said during an emotional press briefing after he was released. “I have gone through four very dark days… I can barely walk.”
He added: “But I am very concerned about Agather. We were tortured together, and they did very horrible things to us. I hope Agather is safe.”
At the time of Karua’s appeal, Atuhaire’s exact whereabouts remained unclear. She was reportedly found near the Tanzanian-Ugandan border days after the incident, but full details of her condition had not yet been confirmed.
Karua said that Mwangi and Atuhaire were not the only ones targeted. She cited the earlier deportation of six other international observers — including a former Chief Justice and a former Justice Minister — who had arrived for the same mission.
The Tanzanian government has not yet issued an official response. However, human rights groups and legal experts across the region are beginning to raise alarms.
In her letter, Karua outlined ten steps she wants regional and continental institutions to take. These include sending formal inquiries to Tanzania, holding emergency meetings on the matter, and reviewing bilateral ties based on human rights records.
She also urged the deployment of international legal experts to support local defenders and called on the UN to invoke its special human rights procedures.
“Your diplomatic influence is crucial in ensuring that member states uphold their commitments to human rights and the rule of law,” she wrote, signing off as the convener of the Pan African Progressive Leaders’ Solidarity Network.
Karua gave the organisations 72 hours to respond.
Her intervention adds to growing pressure on President Samia Suluhu’s administration, which has faced criticism in the past for clamping down on dissent. But some Tanzanian officials maintain that security concerns sometimes require firm measures.
A spokesperson for a Tanzanian civil liberties group, speaking anonymously due to fear of reprisal, said the current episode “mirrors past patterns of repression,” and called for “clear, international scrutiny.”
Mwangi, known for his outspoken activism and photography, has often found himself at odds with authorities. Atuhaire, a Ugandan journalist and rights campaigner, has similarly faced harassment in her home country.
Their arrests — and the disturbing accounts that followed — have drawn widespread attention across East Africa. The question now is whether the African Union and its partners will act.
Until then, Karua and others are watching, waiting, and refusing to be silent.
