Activists give Suluhu 24-hour ultimatum to release Boniface Mwangi
Mwangi was arrested on Monday in Tanzania, where he had travelled to attend the treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
Activists have given Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu a 24-hour ultimatum to release detained Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi, warning they will head to Tanzania if their demand is not met.
The group, Kongamano la Mapinduzi, on Tuesday condemned what they called growing repression across East Africa, blaming the region’s presidents for silencing dissent and targeting activists.
Mwangi was arrested on Monday in Tanzania, where he had travelled to attend the treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
His wife, Njeri, said he was taken from the Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam along with Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire.
The two spent the night at the central police station, according to Mwangi’s lawyer, Jebra Kambole. Njeri added she had not been able to reach him since his arrest.
Speaking in Nairobi, activist Don Githuku said, "Our comrade Agatha and Boniface are still held in Tanzania by the state. We can't speak with them, they don't have phones, but we have our comrade activists in Tanzania following up the matter."
The group called Suluhu an oppressor and demanded that all detained activists in Tanzania be freed.
"Oppressive leaders, your time is up! We want Boniface back today, or else, all of us will come to Tanzania so you can deport us again," said Githuku.
He added, "We are giving Suluhu 24 hours to release them, failure to which we will occupy the Tanzania High Commission. And that's not all, we will go to Tanzania!"
The group also accused Kenya’s William Ruto, Tanzania’s Suluhu, and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni of working together to silence opposition voices in the region.
"We are Africans, East Africans, and we have a right to work with each other. We do not have a problem with each other as citizens of East Africa, it is the presidents. It is shocking that our Jumuiya has been hijacked by three culprits," Githuku said.
Suluhu responded on Monday, saying foreign activists should not be allowed to interfere with Tanzania’s affairs.
"We have started to observe a trend in which activists from within our region are attempting to intrude and interfere in our affairs," she said during a televised speech launching the country’s new foreign policy.
She instructed the country’s security forces "not to allow ill-mannered individuals from other countries to cross the line here."
Her remarks came just hours after several Kenyan activists were denied entry into Tanzania and deported to Nairobi.
Among those detained upon landing at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam were PLP leader and former Justice Minister Martha Karua and former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, who had travelled to observe Lissu’s trial.
In Uganda, opposition figure Kizza Besigye is also facing treason charges, following an incident where he was reportedly abducted in Kenya and taken across the border.
