A Ugandan activist, Agather Atuhaire, has alleged that she was raped while in detention in Tanzania. Atuhaire, who was held incommunicado alongside Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi, claims that people dressed in plain clothes blindfolded her, hit her, violently stripped her, and sexually assaulted her. “The pain was too much,” Atuhaire said, showing scars from handcuffs. She added that she was “screaming so hard” that her captors had to cover her mouth.
Atuhaire and Mwangi had traveled to Tanzania to show solidarity with opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who appeared in court on treason charges. Despite being allowed into the country, they were arrested and not permitted to attend the hearing. Mwangi recounted his experience, saying, “We had been tortured, and we were told to strip naked and to go bathe. We couldn’t walk and were told to crawl and go wash off the blood.”
Mwangi also alleged that those holding them were getting orders from a “state security” official, who directed that they be given a “Tanzanian treatment”. He claimed to have heard Atuhaire “groaning in pain” during their detention. Atuhaire was found abandoned at the border on Thursday night, while Mwangi was earlier found abandoned on a roadside in northern Tanzania near the Kenyan border.
The Tanzanian authorities have not commented on the allegations. However, regional rights groups have called for an investigation, and the US Department of State’s Bureau of Africa Affairs has expressed deep concern over the reports of mistreatment. “We call for an immediate and full investigation into the allegations of human rights abuses. We urge all countries in the region to hold to account those responsible for violating human rights, including torture,” the US Department of State tweeted.
The Kenyan government has also protested against Mwangi’s detention, accusing Tanzanian authorities of denying consular access despite repeated requests. Atuhaire has safely returned home and been warmly received by her family, according to Uganda’s high commissioner to Tanzania, Fred Mwesigye. The US Department of State recognized Atuhaire as an International Women of Courage Awardee in 2024.