East Africa’s Tipping Point: How Tanzania’s Treatment of Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire May Forge a Regional Alliance Against Tyranny
Ujasusi Blog East Africa Monitoring Team | May 2025 | www.ujasusi.com
Introduction: The Arrests That Shocked East Africa
In May 2025, the Tanzanian government detained two prominent East African human rights defenders—Boniface Mwangi, a celebrated Kenyan activist, and Agather Atuhaire, a renowned Ugandan journalist and civic advocate—under murky circumstances. Their arrest, reported torture, and subsequent forced expulsion ignited a firestorm of condemnation across the region and beyond.
What began as a high-handed crackdown on peaceful supporters of Tanzanian opposition figure Tundu Lissu has quickly evolved into a defining geopolitical moment. This incident, laden with diplomatic sensitivity, moral outrage, and public mobilisation, is fast becoming a catalyst for pan-East African resistance to authoritarian tendencies within the region.
This article explores how this episode could become a historic turning point—galvanising regional youth, civil society, and cross-border coalitions into a coordinated resistance against tyranny in East Africa, particularly in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.