Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi has sounded the alarm over a potential threat to his life while staying at the Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. In a late-night post on X, Mwangi claimed that a group of armed men in civilian clothing allegedly Tanzanian police officers showed up outside his hotel room without identifying themselves or offering any formal documentation.
“My life is in danger. I’m at Serena Hotel, Dar es Salaam, and there are armed men in civilian clothes outside my room. They claim to be police officers but have refused to identify themselves. They will have to break the door to remove me. I’m not going to open it,” he posted around 1 am on Monday, May 19.
Mwangi shared a video of the confrontation, showing his refusal to comply with the men’s request to leave his room. In the footage, one man is heard saying in Swahili, “Come down, we’re calling you to the reception; everyone can see, the cameras can see.”
Mwangi responds, “So I will be safe?”
“More than safe, what’s your problem?” the man replies.
Another man who identified himself as “Mr. Robinson” and claimed to be a hotel employee also attempted to defuse the situation, urging Mwangi not to panic. However, the activist remained cautious, requesting Robinson to slide an ID under the door a request that went unfulfilled.
Despite increasing pressure from the men, Mwangi stood his ground. “I’m scared for my life because there are many abductions and executions in this country. People are jailed for opposing President Suluhu’s dictatorship. That’s why I can’t open the door,” he explained.
At around 2 am, Mwangi shared an update stating the men had left his door but were reportedly still in the hotel lobby. “My bags are packed, and I’m ready to leave with them only once Tanzanian lawyers who are aware of this situation arrive. For now, I will stay put. Thank you for the solidarity,” he wrote.
This tense encounter followed closely on the heels of the controversial arrest and deportation of People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua. Karua, accompanied by Law Society of Kenya Council member Gloria Kimani and Pan-African Progressive Leaders Solidarity Network member Lynn Ngugi, was detained upon arrival at Julius Nyerere International Airport on Sunday morning.
In a post, Karua confirmed the trio had been held by Tanzanian authorities shortly after landing.
The two incidents have raised concerns over the treatment of opposition figures and activists in Tanzania, sparking a wave of regional and international attention.
Written By Faith Mwende
