Tanzania frees Kenyan activists after protest

An activist who was detained in Tanzania for three days has been released following a demand for his freedom by Kenya’s foreign ministry.

Korir Sing’oei, a senior official in the ministry, confirmed on X that Boniface Mwangi is “now back in the country.”

Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi is at the centre of a diplomatic storm. Mwangi was detained in Tanzania alongside Ugandan lawyer Agather Atuhaire after travelling to observe opposition leader Tundu Lissu’s court hearing.

Agather Atuhaire, a human rights lawyer, joined Mwangi as part of an East African delegation. Both remain in the custody of Tanzanian immigration authorities, with little information released.

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu has warned against what she calls “foreign interference,” following a failed attempt by other Kenyan civil society leaders to attend the hearing.

The crackdown follows the arrest of opposition leader Tundu Lissu on treason charges, which his supporters call politically motivated.

As regional tensions grow, questions remain over the treatment of foreign observers caught in the fallout.