NAIROBI — Ugandan human rights defender Agather Atuhaire was released late Thursday evening near the Mutukula border with Uganda, ending days of uncertainty following her detention by Tanzanian authorities.
The release came barely 24 hours after Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi was freed under similar circumstances. Both had travelled to Tanzania earlier this week to attend the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu a visit that appears to have sparked the ire of local officials.
Atuhaire’s family and legal team confirmed she was dropped at the border under cover of night. “Agather is on her way home. She was dumped at Mutukula last night we spoke a little while ago,” a relative told reporters on Friday.
The two activists, who had travelled independently but were reportedly coordinating with regional civil society groups, were detained under unclear charges. Their arrests were not publicly acknowledged by Tanzanian authorities.
Mwangi, speaking to journalists in Nairobi after being left in Ukunda, a town on Kenya’s southern coast, said he had endured physical abuse while in custody.
“I’ve gone through four dark days,” he said. “I was tortured very badly, I can barely walk. But I’m more worried about Agather. We were tortured together they did unspeakable things to us.”
The Tanzanian government has yet to issue a formal statement on either detention. Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Atuhaire, known for her advocacy with Agora Discourse, a civic platform based in Kampala, had travelled to Arusha to observe Lissu’s trial, which has drawn widespread regional interest. Lissu, a former presidential candidate and critic of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration, has faced multiple legal battles since his return from exile.
Rights groups have condemned the detentions and demanded accountability. Amnesty International called the arrests “a worrying escalation of repression against cross-border activism.”
“These incidents signal a dangerous trend where East African governments appear to be coordinating, formally or informally, to crack down on dissent,” said Oryem Nyeko, a researcher at Human Rights Watch.
The East African Court of Justice has been urged to investigate, though such inquiries are rare and often lack enforcement power.
Mwangi and Atuhaire’s ordeal has sparked fresh concerns about freedom of movement and expression within the East African Community. Both are recovering and expected to release detailed statements in the coming days.
For now, their supporters are relieved the activists are free but fear the message from Tanzania is clear: criticism, even from beyond its borders, comes at a cost.
