National Liberal Party Condemns Tanzania Over Detention And Torture Of Kenyan, Ugandan Activists
The Mt Kenya Times 
NLP party leader Dr. Muli Kyalo
By: Cynthia Masibo
The National Liberal Party (NLP) has issued a condemnation of Tanzanian authorities following the recent abduction, illegal detention, and reported torture of two prominent East African human rights defenders. Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan lawyer Agather Atuhaire were allegedly targeted while attending the high-profile treason trial of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu in Dar es Salaam.
According to the NLP statement released by party leader Dr. Muli Kyalo, Mwangi and Atuhaire were “brutalized” for peacefully exercising their rights under international law. The party claims the pair were denied legal counsel, subjected to inhumane treatment, and held in undisclosed locations after their arrest a move the NLP described as “the hallmarks of an authoritarian regime, not a democracy.”
“This incident is a chilling reminder of the shrinking civic space and rising autocracy that is taking root in parts of East Africa,” Dr. Kyalo said. “The fact that Tanzania a member of the East African Community and signatory to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights can engage in such brazen violations with apparent impunity is both alarming and unacceptable.”
Eyewitnesses report that Mwangi and Atuhaire were seized by plainclothes officers outside the courthouse, where they had joined other observers to monitor proceedings against Lissu, a vocal government critic. Their whereabouts remained unknown for several hours, sparking concern among regional and international human rights organizations.
The NLP’s statement demands a “full, transparent, and independent investigation” into the arrests and alleged torture, with public disclosure of findings and accountability for those responsible. The party also calls for an immediate end to all acts of repression, harassment, and surveillance targeting activists, journalists, opposition figures, and civil society members in Tanzania.
Furthermore, the NLP is urging intervention from the African Union, the East African Court of Justice, and the United Nations Human Rights Council to ensure justice is served. The party also appeals to regional partners and the broader international community including the United States and European Union to apply diplomatic pressure on Tanzania to uphold its human rights obligations.
“This is not an isolated incident,” the NLP warns. “It is part of a growing pattern of coordinated intimidation, enforced disappearances, and authoritarian overreach seen not only in Tanzania, but increasingly mirrored in neighboring states. The region is at a crossroads and silence is complicity.”
The party’s statement concludes with a message of solidarity for Mwangi and Atuhaire, praising their courage and reaffirming a commitment to democratic freedoms. “Their ordeal must not be in vain—it must become a rallying cry for a renewed East African democracy rooted in transparency, accountability, and respect for all people.”
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