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Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
'Struggling to be alive': Kenyan activist speaks of 'sexual torture' in Tanzania
Warning: This article contains details that some readers may find distressing. A Kenyan activist has told the BBC that he is "struggling to be alive" after allegedly being sexually tortured in detention in Tanzania last month. Boniface Mwangi said he had decided to speak despite the "shame and guilt of being sodomised with all manner of things". Mwangi said he was held in Tanzania after going to the country to show solidarity with detained opposition politician Tundu Lissu. At a press conference in Kenya's capital, Mwangi tearfully claimed that he was stripped naked, hung upside down, beaten on his feet and sexually assaulted while detained. The police chief in Tanzania's main city of Dar es Salaam disputed Mwangi's account and told the BBC they were "opinions" and "hearsay" coming from activists. "If they were here, I would engage them, I would ask them what are they saying, what do they mean... In law, those things are called hearsay or hearsay evidence," Jumanne Muliro told the BBC. He said Mwangi should make a report to the authorities for investigation. Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan's government has been accused by rights groups of becoming increasingly repressive in the run-up to October's presidential and parliamentary elections. Regional rights groups have called for an investigation, and Amnesty International said Tanzanian authorities should hold to account those responsible for the "inhuman" treatment. Mwangi said he was held by Tanzanian authorities for several days along with Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire, who had earlier also spoken of being raped in detention. She attended the press conference in Nairobi on Monday, where Mwangi described his sexual assault in graphic detail. He said his torturers would sexually assault him and tell him to say "asante" (thank you in the Swahili language) to their president. Mwangi added that the officers told him they were filming everything and would leak the footage if he spoke about what he had gone through. Mwangi told the BBC Newsday programme that the torture had left him in mental anguish. "You have a lot of nightmares, you have a lot of thoughts, and you're alone in the dark, and you're thinking you're going to get killed. So that entire mental anguish lives with you," he said. Ugandan activist alleges she was raped while in Tanzanian detention Tanzania president warns 'meddling' Kenyan activists Mwangi said he wanted his medical records be made public so that "what happened to me should never happen to anyone else". "I have wounds all over my body, I have wounds on my private parts, I have wounds on my feet, I have two broken toes, I have fractures… So I'm still struggling". Mwangi and Atuhaire were among several activists who travelled to Tanzania two weeks ago in solidarity with Lissu who was appearing in court on treason charges that he denies. He has been demanding sweeping changes, saying current laws do not allow for free and fair polls, which the government denies. Lissu was arrested on 9 April following his rallying call of "no reforms, no election". Mwangi told the BBC that their visit to Tanzania was to highlight Lissu's "sham case", adding that this "wasn't taken lightly" by the authorities. President Hassan warned at the time that she would not allow activists from neighbouring countries to "meddle" in Tanzania's affairs. The whereabouts of Mwangi and Atuhaire were unknown while they were being held, sparking widespread condemnation. Mwangi said his "abduction" was shocking in how brazen it was as he had been "picked from a very prominent hotel". "So having been abducted during broad daylight and never knowing where I was, and I was still tortured, means that the Tanzanian government doesn't care about what people think about it," he told the BBC. Earlier, Atuhaire said that despite Uganda being "very dictatorial", she did not imagine she "would find a worse foreign country, a worse government". Mwangi said their experience showed "how broken" countries in East Africa were. "So it makes me more of a pan-African in this fight," he told the BBC. The US Department of State's Bureau of Africa Affairs previously said it was deeply concerned by the reports of the two activists' mistreatment, noting that Atuhaire had been recognised by the department "in 2024 as an International Women of Courage Awardee". Other activists, including Kenya's former Justice Minister Martha Karua and former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga were blocked from entering and were deported from the international airport in Dar es Salaam. Additional reporting by Munira Hussein in Dar es Salaam. Kenyan president apologises to Tanzania over deportation row Could this be the end of the road for Lissu, Tanzania's great survivor? Why Samia's hesitant reforms are fuelling Tanzanian political anger 'Manhandled and choked' - Tanzanian activist recounts abduction Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Focus on Africa This Is Africa
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Outrage in Kenya over detention of software developer
Kenyans have expressed outrage over the detention of a software developer who created a tool to help people oppose the government's annual finance bill because of fears that it will raise the cost of living. Rose Njeri was detained on Friday after police raided her home in the capital, Nairobi, and seized electronic devises, activists said. Police and the government have not yet commented on the detention of the mother of two. Mass protests broke out last year after the government proposed tax hikes, forcing President William Ruto to withdraw the 2024 finance bill. The bill outlines the government's spending priorities for the next financial year, and how it intends to raise income. At least 50 people were killed and dozens were abducted in a security force crackdown to end the protests that broke out last year. Law Society of Kenya (LSK) president Faith Odhiambo told the BBC Newsday radio programme that Ms Njeri's detention was a "recurrence of dictatorship". The 'tax collector' president sparking Kenyan anger BBC identifies security forces who shot Kenya anti-tax protesters On Sunday, a group of activists gathered outside a police station in Nairobi, where the software developer is being held, to demand her release. Ms Odhiambo said that Ms Njeri - whom activists visited in prison - was "crestfallen" because with Monday being a public holiday, she had not yet been brought to court. Attempts to get her released on bail had failed, she added. "This has always been a government way of oppressing, intimidating and suppressing citizens because they know the courts don't sit over the weekend – and now we have a public holiday," Ms Odhiambo said. Boniface Mwangi, one of the activists who had visited Ms Njeri in custody, said she told them that police had ransacked her house and taken her phone, laptop and hard drives. He said she was worried about her two children. "Imagine having to tell her children that she's in jail for developing a website that eases public participation for Kenyans who want to submit their proposals on the 2025 budget," he said on X. Ms Njeri was detained after sharing a link to a site that flagged clauses in the bill that she said would lead to the cost of living escalating. It also allowed people to email parliament, calling for the bill to be withdrawn. She also raised concern that a proposal to amend tax procedures, allowing the tax authority to access personal data without a court order, could undermine privacy rights. The new finance bill replaces the zero-rated tax provision on essential commodities with tax-exempt status. Zero-rated goods are taxed at 0%, and suppliers do not charge value-added tax (VAT) to customers but can still claim input VAT on the materials used in producing these goods. Tax-exempted goods are also not subject to VAT but suppliers cannot claim back input VAT, leading to higher prices for consumers or reduced profit margins for businesses, economists and activists say. Finance minister John Mbadi recently admitted that tax-exempt goods may be "slightly more expensive" but explained that the move was necessary to close tax loopholes. He said the government had determined that traders do not pass the zero-rating benefit to consumers, while some make "fictitious and fake" claims for refunds. Mbadi is scheduled to present the government's spending and tax proposals in parliament next week. Last week, Ruto apologised to Kenyan youth for "any misstep" in dealing with them since he took office in 2022. Last month, he said that all the people who had been abducted after last year's protests against tax hikes had been "returned to their families". How Kenya's evangelical president has fallen out with churches Kenyan president's humbling shows power of African youth Protesters set fire to Kenya's parliament - but also saved two MPs Mourning mother's anger at Kenyan migrant smugglers Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Focus on Africa This Is Africa
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Activist freed in Tanzania after Kenyan government demand
An activist detained in Tanzania for three days has been released shortly after Kenya's foreign ministry demanded his release. A top official in the ministry, Korir Sing'oei, said on X that Boniface Mwangi was "now back in the country". Lawyer and fellow activist, Khalid Hussein, told the BBC Mwangi they were together in Kenya's coast region The Kenyan activist was arrested in Dar es Salaam on Monday alongside Ugandan Agather Atuhaire by suspected military officers and their whereabouts remained unknown. They had been in the country to attend the court case of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is accused of treason. The Tanzanian authorities have not commented on Mwangi's detention and deportation. But on Monday, President Samia Suluhu Hassan warned that she would not allow activists from neighbouring countries to "meddle" in her country's affairs and cause "chaos". Earlier on Thursday, Kenya's foreign affairs ministry issued a statement saying it had not been able to access the activist. It said that despite repeated requests, it had been "denied consular access" or information about him, and expressed concern about his health. It urged Tanzania to "expeditiously and without delay" allow access, or release him, "in accordance with international legal obligations and diplomatic norms". Later, Kenya's state-funded rights commission said it had received the activist in Kwale county, following his release from Tanzania. KNCHR posted a picture of him alongside other people including his wife, Njeri, and fellow activist Hussein and said he was "in high spirits". The commission said it was planning to transfer him to the capital Nairobi for medical attention. The activist was reportedly left at the Kenyan border on Thursday morning following his release by the Tanzanian authorities. On Wednesday, his wife told the BBC that she had last heard from him on Monday and had not been able to establish where he was. "I'm actually concerned for his life. I know my husband, he would have communicated, he'd find a way to call or text me and because he hasn't, makes me very worried about what state he is in," she told the BBC Newsday radio programme. Kenya's foreign ministry on Thursday expressed similar concerns about the activist's "health, overall well-being and the absence of information regarding his detention". It said diplomats should have access to their nationals detained by a host nation in accordance with the Vienna Convention on consular relations. "In light of the above, the [ministry] respectfully urges the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania to expeditiously and without delay facilitate consular access to or release Mr Mwangi," it said. Its statement came amid growing outrage, especially after Tanzania's deportation of former Kenyan justice minister Martha Karua and other activists, who had also gone to attend Lissu's hearing, over the weekend. In recent months, rights groups have been expressing concern at the apparent crackdown on Tanzania's opposition ahead of elections in October. Additional reporting by Laillah Mohamed in Nairobi X restricted in Tanzania after police targeted by hackers Why Samia's hesitant reforms are fuelling Tanzanian political anger 'Manhandled and choked' - Tanzanian activist recounts abduction The Tanzanians searching for their grandfathers' skulls in Germany Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
Saudi Gazette
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Sudan army ends two-year siege of key city
KHARTOUM — The Sudanese army says it has broken a near two-year siege imposed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the key southern state capital of breakthrough came hours after the RSF signed a political charter in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, to establish a breakaway government in areas under its RSF and the army have been in a vicious battle for power since April 2023, with tens of thousands of people killed and millions forced from their war has split the country, with the army controlling the north and the east while the RSF holds most of the Darfur region in the west and parts of the the capital of North Kordofan state, is a strategic hub connecting the capital, Khartoum, to Darfur. This is the latest army advance in recent weeks following the recapture of several parts of Khartoum from the was jubilation on the streets as Sudanese soldiers marched into the city.A military spokesman, Nabil Abdallah, confirmed the gains in a statement, saying army forces had destroyed RSF Minister Jibril Ibrahim said the move was a "massive step" in lifting the RSF siege on el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur province, and would also allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to civil society activist Dallia Abdlemoniem told the BBC Newsday program that the recapture of the city " was "huge" and "significant".She said the RSF had "held the civilians captive for nearly two years" in the situation there was "horrific", she said, adding that there had been no medical or food aid in an area considered "to be very risky in terms of famine and malnutrition". She said she hoped more aid would now be allowed in."Lifting the siege brings life back to the city," Ahmed Hussein, a 53-year-old trader in el-Obeid, told the AFP news Abdelmoniem said the army was "making serious groundwork in terms of moving towards the west, which is where the RSF is mainly centered".Both the army and the RSF have been accused of committing grave atrocities against civilians during the war, with their leaders being sanctioned by the US. In addition, RSF has been accused of carrying out a genocide in deny the hosting of the RSF last week as it sought to form a parallel government was criticized by some human rights Sunday, Sudan's Foreign Minister Ali Youssef said his country would "not accept" any country recognizing "a so-called parallel government".Earlier, Sudan's military government had warned it would take retaliatory measures against Kenya and has since recalled its ambassador from response, Kenya's foreign ministry said there was "no ulterior motive" in "providing non-partisan platforms to conflict parties". — BBC
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sudan army ends two-year siege of key city
The Sudanese army says it has broken a near two-year siege imposed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the key southern state capital of el-Obeid. The breakthrough came hours after the RSF signed a political charter in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, to establish a breakaway government in areas under their control. The RSF and the army have been in a vicious fight for power since April 2023, which has killed tens of thousands of people and forced millions from their homes. The fight has split the country, with the army controlling the north and the east while the RSF holds most of Darfur region in the west and parts of the south. El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, is a strategic hub connecting the capital, Khartoum, to Darfur. This is the latest army advance in recent weeks following the recapture of several parts of Khartoum from the RSF. There was jubilation on the streets as Sudanese soldiers marched into the city. A military spokesman, Nabil Abdallah, confirmed the gains in a statement, saying army forces had destroyed RSF units. Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim said the move was a "massive step" in lifting the RSF siege on el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur province, and would also allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to Kordofan. Sudanese civil society activist Dallia Abdlemoniem told the BBC Newsday programme that the recapture of the city " was "huge" and "significant". She said the RSF had "held the civilians captive for nearly two years" in the city. She said the army was "making serious groundwork in terms of moving towards the west, which is where the RSF is mainly centred". A simple guide to the Sudan war Sudan - where more children are fleeing war than anywhere else The two generals at the heart of the Sudan conflict Both the army and the RSF have been accused of committing grave atrocities against civilians during the war, with their leaders being sanctioned by the US. In addition, RSF has been accused of carrying out a genocide in Darfur. Both deny the accusations. Kenya's hosting of the RSF last week as it sought to form a parallel government was criticised by some human rights groups. On Sunday, Sudan's Foreign Minister Ali Youssef said his country would "not accept" any country recognising "a so-called parallel government". In response, Kenya's foreign ministry said there was "no ulterior motive" in "providing non-partisan platforms to conflict parties". Villagers killed execution-style in Sudan, activists say US accuses RSF of Sudan genocide and sanctions its leader Sudan slides deeper into famine, experts say BBC reveals fighters accused of massacre in Sudan Watch: 'They ransacked my home and left my town in ruins' Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
