Frail Mwangi Lands Home After Tanzania Ordeal

Boniface Mwangi came back to Kenya after five days locked up across the border. The activist looked weak and hurt, but felt happy to reach home safely. Tanzanian police had arrested him during a court visit for opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Guards also captured Ugandan lawyer Agather Atuhaire at the same time. Officials kept both people away from family and friends for several days.

Tanzanian authorities sent Mwangi back through land borders to Ukunda near the coast. Doctors checked him at Diani hospital and found serious injuries from his time away. Medical workers put him on a plane from Mombasa to Nairobi for better care. Videos showed helpers pushing Mwangi through the airport because he could not walk alone. The activist said he suffered terrible treatment and felt very weak.

Mwangi asked people to pray for Agather Atuhaire, who remains missing from custody. Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi confirmed that Tanzanian officials had freed the Kenyan activist. Citizens had planned protests outside the Tanzanian embassy if authorities refused to release him. Human rights groups across East Africa expressed anger about the detention and abuse claims. Doctors expect to learn more about his injuries during medical tests