A Ugandan activist who vanished after a trip to Tanzania has been found abandoned near the border she once crossed freely.
Agather Atuhaire, a well-known voice for human rights in East Africa, was discovered near the Mutukula crossing on the Uganda-Tanzania border. Her condition, though not fully known, has sparked alarm across the region.
She had travelled to Tanzania earlier this week to support opposition figure Tundu Lissu, who was facing treason charges in a Dar es Salaam court. She wasn’t alone—Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi was with her.
But by Monday evening, both had been arrested.
Mwangi, who has since been released, spoke to reporters after being dumped at Kenya’s Horohoro border. His voice was steady but carried the weight of what he called “a horrific experience.”
“We were tortured,” he said. “We were told to strip, and crawl to bathe while bleeding. I heard Agather crying out. We couldn’t see each other—we were blindfolded—but I knew she was suffering.”
The pair were separated shortly after. Mwangi believes Tanzanian state agents orchestrated the ordeal. He pointed to one man in particular—a state security officer, he said—who allegedly tracked them from immigration offices to a local police station.
“He beat me in front of three Tanzanian lawyers,” Mwangi said. “They were too scared to help. That same man ordered we be moved to a secret site for what he called the ‘Tanzanian treatment’.”
Atuhaire was not seen again until her sudden appearance near the Mutukula border—alone and, according to local sources, visibly shaken.
Human rights groups are calling for accountability.
“This incident raises serious concerns about cross-border repression,” said Maria Nankya, a legal officer with Human Rights Watch in Kampala. “We need a full investigation—not just into the arrest, but into what happened behind closed doors.”
Tanzanian authorities have yet to respond to these claims. Ugandan officials have also remained quiet.
Tundu Lissu, who has faced political attacks before, condemned the arrests. In a brief statement, he said: “These acts show how fear still drives power in our region.”
Supporters of Atuhaire and Mwangi are demanding answers—and justice.
“This wasn’t just an arrest,” said Joel Ssenyonyi, a Ugandan MP. “It was an attack on the right to protest and stand in solidarity.”
As of Friday morning, Atuhaire was receiving medical attention. Her family has asked for privacy but thanked those who raised the alarm.
The questions now hang heavy: Who ordered this? Why were lawyers powerless to stop it? And what happens to those who dare to speak up in East Africa?
