Activist Boniface Mwangi in an interview with journalists in Mombasa on May 22, 2025./SCREENGRAB
Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi has finally returned home after five days in Tanzanian custody, emerging visibly frail but relieved.
Speaking moments after being released and airlifted from Mombasa to Nairobi for further medical care, Mwangi summed up his ordeal in one heartfelt sentence: “I’m just happy to be back.”
Mwangi was arrested in Dar es Salaam earlier this week while trying to attend a court hearing for Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is facing treason charges.
He was reportedly detained alongside Ugandan lawyer Agather Atuhaire and remained incommunicado until Thursday morning.
After his release, he deported him by road, droped in Ukunda, Kwale County.
He was then rushed to a hospital in Diani for a medical review, where doctors noted that he appeared injured and weak.
In a brief statement at Mombasa International Airport before being airlifted to Nairobi, Mwangi described the experience as harrowing.
“I have gone through three, four dark days. I have been tortured very badly. I can barely walk,” he said.
Videos shared by Haki Africa Executive Director Hussein Khalid showed Mwangi in distress, being wheeled through the airport with visible difficulty.
Mwangi’s family had earlier confirmed that they were informed of his injuries and frail condition.
The full extent of his physical harm remains unclear, but doctors in Nairobi are expected to conduct more thorough assessments.
The activist also called for continued public concern for Agather Atuhaire, whose whereabouts remain unknown “Please pray for Agatha,” he said.
Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi had earlier confirmed Mwangi’s release, following growing public pressure and diplomatic efforts.
Kenyans had threatened to hold protests outside the Tanzanian High Commission in Nairobi if Mwangi was not freed.
His alleged detention and torture sparked outrage among human rights defenders across East Africa.
