Boniface Mwangi, a well-known Kenyan activist, has been detained in Tanzania under unclear circumstances, sparking alarm across East Africa.
His wife, Njeri Mwangi, said she lost contact with him after he was arrested at a hotel in Dar es Salaam.
“He was taken from the Serena Hotel on Sunday evening,” she told reporters. “Since then, I’ve not spoken to him. We’re being told the authorities are still deciding whether to charge him or send him home.”
Mwangi had travelled to Tanzania to attend a court hearing for opposition figure Tundu Lissu, who is facing treason charges. The case has drawn regional attention, with concerns mounting over freedom of speech and political rights in the country.
Lissu’s political party, Chadema, has been banned from contesting the upcoming general election in October. Tanzanian officials have accused the group of attempting to destabilise the country.
Other regional leaders who planned to attend the hearing were blocked from entering Tanzania. Among them was Martha Karua, a former Kenyan presidential candidate and prominent lawyer, who was turned away at the airport and deported.
Karua condemned the move. “They didn’t even let us in,” she said. “It’s clear the authorities don’t want international attention on this trial.”
Mwangi’s lawyer, Jebra Kambole, confirmed that the activist spent Sunday night in police custody along with Ugandan journalist and activist Agather Atuhaire.
“They were taken to the central police station in Dar es Salaam. We’re still trying to get access to them,” Kambole said.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan made her position clear during a public event on Monday. She warned that “ill-mannered individuals” from outside the country should not “interfere” in domestic affairs.
Her remarks have drawn criticism from rights groups, who say governments across East Africa are increasingly using legal pressure and intimidation to silence critics.
In neighbouring Uganda, opposition leader Kizza Besigye is also on trial for treason. He was allegedly abducted in Kenya and transferred across the border. Karua is also representing Besigye and said she had travelled to Uganda “without a hitch” this week for his latest hearing.
Activists say the events in Tanzania and Uganda show a growing trend of shrinking space for dissent across the region.
“There’s a dangerous pattern here,” said Maina Kiai, a Kenyan human rights expert. “Governments are using police and border controls to silence voices they find inconvenient. It’s a regional crisis.”
As of Tuesday, Boniface Mwangi remained in custody. His family and supporters continue to wait for news.
“No one has told us what the charges are, or if he’ll be sent back home,” said Njeri. “We just want him safe.”
