Ugandan Activist Alleges She Was Raped During Detention in Tanzania

 

A Ugandan human rights activist, Agather Atuhaire, has publicly accused Tanzanian authorities of raping her while in detention. Atuhaire, who was arrested and held for several days alongside Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi, told the BBC that she was blindfolded by plainclothes officials, beaten violently, stripped, and sexually assaulted. She also shared that she bears a scar from being handcuffed and was so distressed that she was screaming, prompting her captors to cover her mouth.

Atuhaire described the assault in graphic detail, recounting moments of excruciating pain and terror. She claimed she also heard Mwangi screaming and was told that he was threatened with circumcision. The activists had traveled to Tanzania to show support for opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who was in court on charges of treason.

Mwangi recounted his own harrowing experience, sharing on X (formerly Twitter) that he and Atuhaire were tortured, ordered to strip naked, and made to crawl and wash blood off themselves. Despite being allowed into Tanzania, both activists were prohibited from attending Lissu’s court hearing and were later arrested.

Atuhaire was eventually found abandoned at the border after her incommunicado detention. Her rights group, Agora Centre for Research in Uganda, confirmed her safe return home. Uganda’s high commissioner to Tanzania, Fred Mwesigye, said she was received warmly by her family.

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Mwangi, who was also found abandoned near the Kenyan border, told that he heard Atuhaire groaning in pain during their detention, and that their captors—allegedly under orders from a Tanzanian security official—were acting on behalf of the state. His disappearance had caused widespread concern, with protests organized by civil society demanding his release. The Kenyan government has formally protested to Tanzania over his detention and denied him consular access.

Regional and international human rights groups have called for an urgent investigation into these allegations of mistreatment and abuse by Tanzanian authorities. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Africa Affairs expressed deep concern, emphasizing that Atuhaire was recognized in 2024 as an International Woman of Courage Awardee. They urged all regional countries to uphold human rights and hold those responsible accountable.