Prominent Kenyan photojournalist and human rights activist Boniface Mwangi, along with Ugandan journalist and advocate Agatha Atuhaire, have been deported from Tanzania following their detention in Dar es Salaam.
The two were accused of providing false information upon entry into the country and had been held at the Central Police Station since May 19.
Their deportation, confirmed on Tuesday by Advocate Emmanuel Ukashu and the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS), has triggered widespread condemnation from regional civil society organizations and legal rights advocates.
“I have received reports from Advocate Emmanuel Ukashu, who was assigned to handle this matter, informing me that Mr. Boniface Mwangi and Ms. Agatha Atuhaire have been deported to their respective countries,” said Boniface Mwabukusi, President of the Tanganyika Law Society.
According to Mwabukusi, the two were escorted out of Tanzania by officers from the Immigration Services Department.
He condemned their detention and removal as a violation of fundamental rights and called for enhanced protections for journalists and human rights defenders across the East African region.
“As advocates for human rights, constitutionalism, and the rule of law in the East African region, we are duty-bound to continue engaging our respective national and regional authorities,” Mwabukusi stated.
He further emphasized the need for adherence to regional and international frameworks that safeguard freedom of movement, expression, and the rights of human rights defenders, referencing the East African Community Treaty and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The arrest and subsequent deportation of Mwangi and Atuhaire come amid growing scrutiny of Tanzania’s treatment of foreign activists and journalists.
The two had reportedly travelled to Tanzania in solidarity with opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is currently facing treason charges.
The incident follows the recent denial of entry and deportation of other prominent figures, including Kenyan politician Martha Karua and former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan has defended the actions, asserting that foreign actors would not be allowed to interfere in Tanzania’s internal affairs.
“They have destroyed their own countries, and now the only peaceful and united nation left is ours. We must not allow those who have brought chaos elsewhere to come and create problems here,” Suluhu said in a public address.
Rights groups across East Africa are now calling for an independent investigation into the treatment of foreign nationals in Tanzania and urging EAC member states to reaffirm their commitments to democratic values and regional cooperation.
